Jonathan Bell
Strangford · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I did so because terminally ill children were being prevented from getting a hospital place in my area. While attempts were being made to prevent me from coming to the Public Accounts Committee, a terminally ill child was told, after being seen by doctors, that they could not have a hospital place and that, if they needed one, they would…”
“The permanent secretary replied "No" and said that everybody would recognise that every government worked by and on collective responsibility. <BR /> <BR />We are in a mess, and somebody has to shine a light on that mess. It fell to me, and I do not know why. I did not seek it, nor did I want it. I did not want to do it.”
“Let me conclude, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. The regulations are necessary because of the extreme mess that we have found ourselves in. The points that I made when I had to shine a light on this devastating situation were not made in December. The points were made in writing to the then First Minister in March 2016.”
“The permanent secretary replied, "Well, that is right". <BR /> <BR />There were no regulations on the table when I spoke out. There was no suggestion that we could reduce to zero or even significantly reduce the costs, and we had no legal procedure, that I was aware of, that we could have followed.”
“But I cannot speak authoritatively because, even after the Public Accounts Committee meeting, when I asked the permanent secretary last week whether I could come and see the information that, I believe, legally should be made available to me, I got no reply. Nothing.”
“The second objective that I wanted to achieve was to stop the haemorrhage of public funds. Let us not pretend that the money is still to be spent: tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money has already been spent — £85,000 a day, day by day, as we go along.”
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“I apologise for being out of breath, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I have just dashed back from Antrim, where, the House will be delighted to know, the Mayor of London has given us another Transport for London order for 200 buses. That brings the total number of buses ordered to 1,000 and secures hundreds of jobs in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The Bill is the latest in a number of actions undertaken by my Department that are aimed at improving the legislative and regulatory framework that applies to credit unions and registered societies. Those sectors are of key importance to Northern Ireland, and the Bill's provisions will give them new operational freedoms and allow them to better serve their members and wider society.”
“However, as I said earlier, even Manufacturing Northern Ireland, which is a critical friend, is saying that manufacturing is growing in Northern Ireland. I make no apology for giving confidence to the people who have the expertise in manufacturing on the shop floor or for telling the facts about a growing manufacturing industry as they are given to me independently.”
“Over two Programme for Government periods, 18,000 jobs have been created, sustained and promoted in the manufacturing industry. The fact is that we now have more manufacturing jobs in Northern Ireland than at any time since 2008. We have crossed the barrier of 80,000 manufacturing jobs. That is why I make no apology for saying that I believe in Northern Ireland manufacturing. That is why I will stand shoulder to shoulder with Alain Bellemare, Michael Ryan and all the critical people in our manufacturing industry. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with them to have confidence in the product in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Yes, there have been huge challenges. Nobody knows that more than the people who have endured the pain of job loss.”
“I talked with the unions this morning about the damage that will be done if we talk down our manufacturing industry, talk about disasters or tsunamis, if we are stupid enough to talk about them, or talk about manufacturing having no future, if we are silly enough to do so. The industry says that confidence drives its order book. Confidence in the industry drives jobs and apprenticeships. Confidence is key. <BR /> <BR />I look at the independent advice that I am given. HMRC is telling me independently — you can study the figures for yourselves — that manufacturing in Northern Ireland is growing at a faster rate than in any other part of the United Kingdom. In two Programmes for Government, £3 billion has been invested in manufacturing.”
“I think that most people with a reasonable IQ understand that, when a company globally restructures and Germany takes more pain than the UK, we take 17% of the pain and Canada takes over 50%, trying to blame a devolved Minister in Northern Ireland talks more of the silliness of the person who does that than the message that they are trying to give. <BR /> <BR />I answered the Member's question earlier. I ask him to work with me. The manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland has asked me, in my privileged position as their Enterprise Minister, to project confidence in the sector.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Some people were foolish enough, within minutes of the announcement being made, to try to engage in silly party political nonsense. When you are on the shop floor meeting people in Bombardier, you can say that it did not go down well. People were looking for the Assembly to do what Minister Farry and I did, which was immediately to put our shoulders to the wheel to focus not on ourselves but on the 580 people who, up until 2018, will lose their job and on retraining, on accreditation and on where we can find extra work for them. <BR /> <BR />I appreciate the Member's honesty.”
“While I experience all the difficulties and pain at Bombardier, one thing that I know is that there is no future for Bombardier that does not include Belfast. Another thing that I know is that our research and development, our manufacturing, our patents, our complex composites and our metallic structures for the wings of the CSeries lead the world.”
“<BR /> <BR />Bombardier possibly leads the globe — it is certainly highly significant in the global industry — in having up to 90% of its workforce qualified and accredited in the work that it does. In research and development, talent and the years of work that have gone into ensuring that we are a critical part of the UK SC21 supply chain, I believe that aircraft manufacturing has a positive future in Northern Ireland.”
“The excellence of our manufacturing industry will tell, well into the future. Our aircraft industry in Northern Ireland is very well established, not just within the European Union but with Embraer in Brazil and in other areas. I am confident that, as Sir Allen McClay taught us, the manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland can compete against the best in the world and win. They are coming to Northern Ireland on the basis of the quality of our product. They are coming to Northern Ireland on the basis of the huge investment that has been put into research and development. They are coming to Northern Ireland because of the talent of our engineering workforce.”
“When you go across the globe, whether it is to the Paris Air Show or one of the many others, one thing that becomes clear is that, when people come and look at our manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland, they look at its excellence and efficiency. The two things that we have to ensure into the future are that quality is maintained and that we have delivery on time. That way, we will grow from a £1·1 billion industry to a £2 billion industry by 2024.”
“Invest Northern Ireland worked with every major company around the globe to see where, with the UK SC21 supply chain, they could take best advantage of the expertise and excellence of manufacturing in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />These are early days to assess the specific effects of the Bombardier announcement for the supply chain. Remember that, on the back of this announcement, we also had the hugely significant announcement from Air Canada that it intends to purchase 75 CS300 aircraft. There will be difficulties with Bombardier but, as we supply right across the entire supply chain, we have ensured that many of our companies will take advantage of the need for tens of thousands of new aircraft across the globe.”
“I took the opportunity to visit specific projects with Mr Lyons. I was pleased to see young people, particularly those who are hard to reach, being able to get into the market. In his constituency, through to North Antrim and others, I have looked at projects that have particularly tried to help young people who are out of work and have problems with alcohol and other forms of chemical dependency to re-enter the market. We have sought to get all our companies in the supply chain to diversify. What we are reaping today are the benefits of years of work that Arlene Foster put in when she was in this job to ensure that eggs were not placed in one basket.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am not sure that Minister Farry and I have an open door; it is more of a revolving door between our Departments to ensure, first, that those who lose their jobs are in a position to take advantage of what comes on stream and, secondly — Mr Farry, has an ambitious skills agenda, which I want to encourage, and I know that he gained some additional money through his work with the then Finance Minister — to look constantly at our skills barometer to ensure that we have what we need now and, through the comprehensive work that Invest NI is doing, particularly in light of corporation tax, the skills sets ready for new jobs as they emerge.”
“<BR /> <BR />I believe that, particularly with the complementary labour force, there will be key new areas with alternative manufacturing options. I further believe that, with the skills support that DEL has given, coupled with the investment advice and the intelligence of Invest Northern Ireland on where new manufacturing markets will open, many of those who have unfortunately lost their jobs on this occasion will be able to find new work in manufacturing.”
“I thank the Member. I paid tribute to Stephen earlier. He and I have been synonymous with what the two Departments can do to help the workers. To all intents and purposes, we are nearly amalgamated already, in that we have both put our shoulder to the wheel. <BR /> <BR />The thing that I found most valuable was talking to workers in Bombardier just after the announcement was made. I was in the boardroom for the announcement, but I talked to many workers on the shop floor and after their shifts, including in their homes in Newtownards, until about 8.30 pm on Friday. They deeply appreciate that we did not get involved in party politicking or any nonsense. Instead, we reacted immediately to put all the resources of our Departments and the Northern Ireland Assembly behind the workforce.”
“In many cases, companies like Michelin have been saying, "Jonathan, if there is a programme of training that will help the individual worker and it goes a little bit over that time, we will, as long as it is not excessive, look positively at that." It is about skills support and careers advice so that those men and women are best placed, with a competent CV and the necessary accreditation, to take advantage of the 3,500-plus new jobs in manufacturing.”
“<BR /> <BR />We will, through Invest Northern Ireland and DEL's Careers Service, provide them with hours of individual work with careers and skills advisers, who will also inform them where new jobs in manufacturing are coming. I have been working with companies, particularly Michelin, on an individual amount for each person to see what we can do for them because, at the end of the day, every job is individual. The question is what we can do for the individual.”
“In relation to some of the areas that the Member has mentioned, we know that over 18,000 manufacturing jobs have been created over the last two Programmes for Government and that, as we stand — I will not go into individual companies — there are some 3,500 manufacturing jobs coming on stream in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />What particularly concerned me about the Member's area was that many who had joined those companies and built up their skills base had never been formally accredited. What we have done in those areas through Northern Regional College is, where necessary, put short courses in place to allow people to have their skills accredited immediately or after a short period of training.”
“Companies have said that that is not the case. We know, however, that it is an issue, and we want the manufacturing and energy advisory group to look at the short, medium and long term for what we can do to reduce those energy costs and make us as competitive as possible to the emerging new world markets.”
“We have to go to every corner of the globe, and I go inspired by a man whom I never had the privilege to meet. I have read the missive that he set out for us, which was that we should not let anyone tell us that Northern Ireland cannot compete against the best in the world and win. He did it not once with his company but twice, when he bought that company back. Sir Allen McClay's message is to the front of my mind when we go to global markets with Invest Northern Ireland. We will continue to go to them because, in every part of those global markets in the aerospace sector, we are attracting jobs and investment to Northern Ireland through the long-term strategic approach that we took with SC21. <BR /> <BR />We know that energy is a factor. Some people have wrongly made it out to be the number one factor in why we have lost jobs.”
“We supply every major aerospace sector on the globe from our supply chain in Northern Ireland. I see that growing into the future and am determined to drive it from a £1·1 billion industry to a £2 billion industry by 2024.”
“Under the distinguished work that my predecessor Arlene Foster took forward with Invest Northern Ireland, they took all our companies and looked at the whole supply chain. The world needs tens of thousands of new aircraft. We looked at SC21 over the last number of years, with a long-term focus, for what we could do to ensure that our companies in Northern Ireland are best placed on that supply chain. The position today is that there are companies dependent on Bombardier to a huge degree, but there are also companies that have diversified so successfully under the work of Invest Northern Ireland that they are in a position in which more than three quarters of their work does not include Bombardier work. That is a huge success for aircraft manufacturing in Northern Ireland.”
“I can tell the Member that, between Alastair Hamilton and me, we will do everything — I mean "everything" — that is humanly possible to ensure that there are no further manufacturing job losses in Northern Ireland. No Member can ever say that, in this industry, we can guarantee no job losses. All Members understand that, as do the public. <BR /> <BR />The chief executive was referring to the specific situation in Bombardier, and I place this on record: we are very fortunate to have the skills of the men and women in Invest Northern Ireland for what they have done for our aerospace manufacturing sector. Why do I say that? It is their skills and the manufacturing base in Northern Ireland that have taken some 60-plus of our Northern Ireland companies to a position where they contribute £1·1 billion to our economy.”
“That is why I will stand shoulder to shoulder and give confidence to the manufacturing industry and, as part of a refreshed economic strategy, give manufacturing its place. I believe in Bombardier, and I believe in manufacturing in Northern Ireland. We can go into the future and grow jobs in this sector of our economy.”
“<BR /> <BR />I believe in Northern Ireland manufacturing, and the reason is that we have turned a point this year where we have more than 80,000 manufacturing jobs. We have not been there since 2008, and, if the Member would care to reflect on the HMRC figures, he will be aware that manufacturing in Northern Ireland is growing at a faster rate than that in any other part of the United Kingdom. I look at some of my critical friends, like Stephen Kelly at Manufacturing Northern Ireland, who has refreshingly told the media that manufacturing is growing in Northern Ireland; I look back at two Programmes for Government; and I see 18,000 manufacturing jobs and £3 billion invested in manufacturing in Northern Ireland.”
“I think that the Member does not understand the current position of manufacturing. I am in a difficult position, and I shared this with the trade unions this morning. I speak to the industry and to Manufacturing Northern Ireland, and the Member should be aware that the manufacturing strategy is part of our economic strategy for Northern Ireland. If he had listened appropriately when I said that I would give it a renewed focus and a central place, he would have known that I am doing so because the manufacturing industry tells me that it thrives on confidence. It has asked me, as Minister, to do everything that I can to promote confidence. However, if I do not talk about crisis and disasters and tsunamis and all the other hyperbole, I do not give the manufacturing industry confidence, and then I get accused of complacency.”
“I have major companies employing well over 2,000 people in Northern Ireland saying to me, "Jonathan, we came for your costs; we stayed for your people". Then we add the third unique offering: after 1 April 2018, we will have the most competitive rate of corporation tax in western Europe. That three-pronged strategy is a winning prize that I believe will deliver results, not least the independent advice that I get from the Economic Policy Centre at Ulster University that we can grow our economy by up to 10%.”
“As I said before — this will not be applicable in every sector, but it is applicable in many sectors across Northern Ireland — I do not see a reduction in corporation tax as something that will improve the economy; I see it as something that will transform it. I take the message of Manufacturing Northern Ireland around the world, and I make this commitment: I will go anywhere in the globe where I can attract jobs in manufacturing to Northern Ireland. We have a key message that is not only about corporation tax, as the Member says: we are running at about 84% to 85% of the business costs of the rest of the United Kingdom and about 95% of the business costs of the Republic of Ireland. Add to that the talent of our people.”
“If you take the work specifically on the CSeries that Invest Northern Ireland and UK BIS have done — my last engagement with Alain Bellemare, which was with Lord Maude, the then Trade and Industry Minister, when we went together to present a united front for the jobs in Belfast — you will see that there has been about £135 million in investment in the CSeries. We should not dismiss the fact that Bombardier itself placed £520 million into the company. That is the largest single investment ever made in Northern Ireland, and it is something that we deeply respect.”
“I share the Member's concern. I represent Strangford, another neighbouring constituency with a plant, and we are all desperate to ensure that we retain as many jobs as we can. Part of the success that Mr Dunne refers to is down to Michael Ryan and the chairman, Mr Brundle, and I pay tribute to both of them. I talked with the unions this morning and with people from the shop floor in Bombardier late into Friday night, and what they told me is that they share my confidence in Michael Ryan and the team there. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with them as we go forward. <BR /> <BR />Over a 13-year period, you will see that the investment has been some £75 million. That has triggered £844·5 million of investment in Bombardier.”
“Into the future, as we build the SC21 supply chain, we will look to see how those workers can be reskilled and retrained to take advantage of those opportunities. Let us not forget that every major aircraft corporation in the world is accepting manufacturing from Belfast and Northern Ireland.”
“I grew up in east Belfast — my father had a church there — alongside people in families who, for generations, earned their livelihood in manufacturing. I believe that, into the future, Northern Ireland will have a bright aircraft manufacturing industry. It is worth about £1·1 billion and employs somewhere in the region of 8,500 people in Northern Ireland. I want to see that grow to 12,000 people, and I want to see that £1·1 billion value to our economy grow to £2 billion by 2024. Specifically, all the resources of DEL are being put behind the workers through careers advice, reskilling and retraining and into how we can ensure that the complementary labour force, where there are other manufacturing areas that need skilled workers, can see people married to those positions.”
“OK. Well, you have heard what I am going to do on energy with the manufacturing group and you have heard the answer that I gave to Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, who raised the question of apprenticeships. I have been speaking with the unions this morning, and we will do all that we can on that. As we take our manufacturing industry forward, be assured, Mr Cochrane-Watson, that putting apprenticeships and young people at its core will be a key priority for me and Minister Farry.”
“This was a global initiative that Bombardier took. In the UK we took 17% of the pain, Canada took somewhere in the region of 50% of the pain and Germany took a higher degree of pain than we did. I will work with everyone in the House, whatever they have said in the past, if they can bring forward fresh ideas about how we can attract new markets and ensure that manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland is best placed to take advantage of the new opportunities that are emerging.”
“I am pleased to do that. Anybody who knows either Stephen or myself knows how deeply we value apprenticeships and how we see them into the future. I understand from the company that it will be suspending the scheme, not ending it. It is a suspension of new apprenticeships. All apprentices in the current scheme will have their full apprenticeship programme honoured. I look forward to a time when we can see that suspension lifted and apprenticeships going forward. Minister Farry and I agree completely that apprenticeships are the way forward. <BR /> <BR />I also thank the Member for the work that he is doing in the United States. He shared some of that with me on both a private and a commercial basis. I am encouraged by it, because right around the world they are looking for us to stand shoulder to shoulder to protect these jobs.”
“We know that there are up to 3,500 jobs coming forward in manufacturing. We want to ensure that, of the 200 who will lose their job in this period, we can seek, where we can, to have those people re-skilled. In many cases that will mean getting accreditation for the skills they already have and programmes of retraining. I am informed by the industry experts that over 90% of the workforce in Bombardier are accredited skilled engineers, and part of our job is to see how we can put them in the best position to attract the new manufacturing jobs that are coming forward.”
“Together with Minister Farry's Department — effectively the two Departments are amalgamated in driving forward support for the workers — we are looking to ensure that the other manufacturing work that we believe to be out there can be introduced to those in the complementary labour force, who are in the most immediate position of losing their jobs. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, to answer Mr Douglas, I know that many members of the workforce are in the East Belfast constituency, and, as he knows I grew up beside the factory.”
“I spent most of the last 72 hours working with the Minister for Employment and Learning. I want to put on record my deep thanks to Minister Farry, who has been available pretty much 24/7 as we worked together to first absorb the news and then channel our energy into seeing what we can do for the workers affected. <BR /> <BR />We know that 580 jobs will go by Christmas 2016, and we also know of the announcement of up to 500 jobs going by 2017. I understand that about 380 of those jobs are with a recruitment agency and are part of the complementary labour force.”
“The honourable Member is wrong when he asserts that, when a company becomes efficient and cost-competitive, it always reduces its staff. History would tend to argue against that. We want to see Bombardier in a position where it can win not only orders for the CSeries but other orders. <BR /> <BR />Michael Ryan and I had a very positive and constructive meeting with many of the trade unions this morning. We are agreed on the critical nature of manufacturing in Belfast and how we take that forward. In the future world economy, cost-competitiveness will be key for Northern Ireland to ensure that we have the jobs in Belfast. I am determined to see those jobs in Belfast.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As he outlined, I met representatives of the company on five separate occasions. I met them twice in Montreal, most recently with Mr Bellemare. In all those meetings, the critical nature of what we wanted to do was to ensure that the Belfast plant is a key part of Bombardier going forward. <BR /> <BR />We know that Belfast is critical to Bombardier. Indeed, many of the discussions centred on how Bombardier cannot see a future without the Belfast plant. We have the research and development, the patents, the skills and brilliant manufacturing workers. Indeed, 90% of Bombardier's manufacturing staff are accredited, and it is probably a world leader in accreditation. <BR /> <BR />We know that, in the future, we have to be competitive and efficient.”
“<BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I and my Executive colleagues will do everything that we can for the people who are directly affected by the job losses, and we will continue to support Bombardier — I will stand shoulder to shoulder with Michael Ryan and the men and women on the shop floor in Belfast — to secure its future. Beyond that, the economic strategy will reflect our unshakeable belief in the future of manufacturing in Northern Ireland, which will continue to be the centrepiece of our economy and the envy of the world. <BR /> <BR />I commend the statement to the Assembly.”
“That is why I established the energy and manufacturing advisory group, on which we have brought together expertise from manufacturing, energy and academia to generate new ideas on the way forward. The group's work is progressing well, and I look forward to receiving its report in the coming weeks. <BR /> <BR />The broader policy environment also needs to change, with every part of the public sector sharing the responsibility for growing the economy. With the support of my Executive colleagues, my Department is leading on a programme of deregulation, cutting red tape and reducing the burden on business. The aim, quite simply, will be to make the entire public sector much more business-friendly.”
“New jobs in manufacturing and other sectors will depend on having a supply of people with the right skills ready to take up the opportunities. Building that supply chain of skills will be at the core of the new Department for the Economy, working closely with colleagues in schools, further education colleges and universities. <BR /> <BR />Thirdly, on competitiveness, we must create the right policy environment to ensure that our manufacturing is competitive. For example, the challenge of energy costs is already well recognised. We know that energy costs have fallen in recent years and are at a six-year low, but that means that they are at a six-year low for all our competitors as well. Other countries focus their energy policies on growing the economy and supporting business: we must do the same.”
“Members are familiar with the headline figures: in excess of 30,000 additional jobs; an economy that is nearly 10% larger; and an up to 5% improvement in productivity. Lower corporation tax will not merely grow our economy — it will transform it. Northern Ireland's corporation tax regime will enable our indigenous companies to grow and will bring new forms of foreign direct investment. We already have a well-earned reputation for attracting major back-office and support functions, and we can now look forward to attracting, and retaining, major profit centres. Those profits will in turn drive investment in research, development and innovation, leading to more and better jobs. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, on talent, we will place a real focus on skills.”
“Our job in the Executive is to create the right environment for that talent to take root and to flourish. It starts with having the right strategy in place. Work is under way in my Department on a major refresh of the Executive's economic strategy. I have tasked my officials with putting manufacturing at the centre of that new strategy, as one of its major themes. Those will not be just warm words. I want to see a real focus on the role of manufacturing as the bedrock of our economy. In that strategy, there will be three key themes to support manufacturing: tax, talent and competitiveness. <BR /> <BR />First, on tax, the lowering of the rate of corporation tax to 12·5% from April 2018 will be a game changer.”
“I want to see flourishing manufacturing companies at the heart of our growing economy, with Northern Ireland supplying the world with everything from complex aircraft structures to portable defibrillators and quarrying machinery, to name but three. As I visit companies across Northern Ireland, I meet inspiring, brilliant people in every sector. I have witnessed at first hand a wealth of entrepreneurial flair and talent working with first-class research and development capacity in our universities.”
“Working with Minister Farry to soften the blow as much as we can, we will continue to work with the company to secure its future and to help those affected to find new jobs. We must now also look beyond that immediate challenge to the future of the manufacturing industry and the overall economy. The job losses at Bombardier, along with those at Michelin and JTI, are serious blows, but we must be neither despondent nor complacent. In the midst of these recent devastating redundancies, it is important to remember that the total number of jobs in manufacturing continues to grow. Recently, total numbers employed in manufacturing passed 80,000 for the first time in a number of years. We can and we must build upon that base.”
“Such was the interest and enthusiasm that has been shown for Farnborough by our companies that Invest Northern Ireland is significantly increasing the size of its stand this year; I find that greatly encouraging. In April, Invest Northern Ireland will be taking a group of companies to the Aerospace and Defence Supplier Summit in Seattle, USA. I feel strongly encouraged by the enthusiasm with which Northern Ireland aerospace companies are embracing these opportunities. This is further evidence of the ambition and confidence with which our aerospace companies are seeking to take their expertise to the four corners of the world. <BR /> <BR />My focus so far has been on the immediate challenge of the Bombardier job losses.”
“This initiative is also helping to reduce the dependence of the participating companies on Bombardier, as a number are successfully diversifying their sales base into other key customers worldwide. The strategy for Northern Ireland aerospace launched by my distinguished predecessor, Arlene Foster, in 2014 is already delivering benefits in internationalising the Northern Ireland aerospace brand, and I shall continue to support the implementation of this strategy in every possible way. <BR /> <BR />Shortly after taking up the post of Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment last year, I led a group of Northern Ireland companies to the Paris Air Show. I am pleased to say that an even larger group plans to exhibit at the Farnborough International Air Show in July this year.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is an ongoing programme of investment by Northern Ireland aerospace companies in technology, people and R&D to support expanding production rates in many of the world's aerospace programmes. Invest Northern Ireland has been leading a programme of improvement through the 21st century supply chain initiative in conjunction with the industry association, ADS UK, and is strongly supported by Bombardier Aerospace and B/E Aerospace in Kilkeel to drive improvements in on-time delivery and quality. These are crucial to success in this high-value sector of the manufacturing economy. This programme has already delivered significant improvements in turnover and profitability in the aerospace sector, which, in turn, are helping to create additional jobs in Northern Ireland.”