Northern Ireland has a unique product. The Province has a distinct advantage over the Republic of Ireland, because it boasts the single most recognisable feature on this island - the Giants Causeway.

In volume one of the report on the 'Strategy 2010' inquiry, recommendation 32 states

The establishment of a brand image is vital to the creation of a strong and successful tourism industry. Further to recommendation 31, the tourism sector should address key issues such as hospitality training and recruitment challenges. We all know that world tourism is a highly competitive market. We cannot offer a product which is basked in sunshine - if only every day in this Province were like today. It is therefore all the more vital that we offer a very market-focused approach that meets the necessity of shoulder and off-peak vacation opportunities. In this respect, events tourism is the way forward. We need only consider the success of such events as the North West 200, the Black Bush Golf Tournament and the Milk Cup soccer tournament. Running alongside all of this is the important, and often undervalued, necessity of high standards.

If we are to compete successfully in a world marketplace, we must pay great attention to the need to deliver a product that is on a par with any major tourist destination in the world. When we attract people to Northern Ireland we want them to return, and we want them to spread the word to others. This will happen only if they are impressed with what is being offered and with the standards and product-delivery mentality of those who operate in the industry.

The Committee recommended a massive injection of funding over the next 10 years to develop the transport infrastructure in all regions of Northern Ireland. This goes hand in hand with the development of tourism. There is a need for fast, safe and efficient public transport. The need for good infrastructure and communications networks can not be emphasised enough in our battle to enhance tourism. The connection speaks for itself.

Finally, as the world becomes increasingly smaller to the extent that far-off parts of the world are now becoming commonplace destinations for the avid traveller, we must do everything possible to make it easy for people from those far-flung destinations to visit Northern Ireland. There is a need not only to market our product on new and distant shores, but to provide the means for people to get here. That means constantly keeping an eye on potential new air routes and destinations. What I have suggested, and the recommendations made by the Committee's inquiry, are common sense, visionary proposals for the betterment of Northern Ireland in the years ahead. I urge the House to support the motion.

Much of the ground has been covered, but I will elaborate on issues which require further emphasis, filling in the gaps in earlier speeches. It cannot be emphasised enough how extensive this investigation was and how much detail we went into.

It was more than 12 months in gestation. The Chairperson of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee mentioned earlier that we had 58 written and 45 verbal submissions. I began with some scepticism and concerns that consultation on 'Strategy 2010' was perhaps, as many people thought, too narrow. Over the course of the lengthy inquiry, however, it became obvious that, while there were some shortcomings in the preparation and the consultation, it was one of the most valuable documents I had seen. I could not help but draw the conclusion that it was a major milestone in the process of readjusting and reorientating our economy towards the twenty-first century.

That reorientation has taken place in extremely difficult circumstances. The Chairperson earlier referred to globalisation. Globalisation has been the name of the game in the last 10 years, if not the last 15. The whole world has changed and become a village. We can no longer operate in isolation, as we could perhaps have done in the past with the grants, the protection, the shelter and the subsidies. Businesses developed in such circumstances will ultimately be swept away in the globalised economy of the twenty-first century.

We recognise that in that environment Northern Ireland must be able to create an economy that will enable it to change rapidly in rapidly changing circumstances. Financial capital relentlessly follows opportunity and ruthlessly seeks out niches where it might create wealth, develop itself and return a profit. It does not hold much sentiment. In those circumstances we must be able to compete with, but equally to balance, the ruthlessness of capitalism as it seeks its opportunities. Some countries have done very well in this, and in our report we mentioned particularly South Korea and the Irish Republic. They have managed to create human capital to take advantage of the financial capital which was moving around the world and suck it in.

Financial capital does seek very solid quality and quantity of human capital and other capital stocks, such as infrastructure, in which to root itself. However, quite often as it does this, a "winner takes all" situation develops and inequality becomes the norm - not just between countries but in them. We can see this at home west of the Bann and in the Greater Belfast region, which has special advantages in contexts such as telecommunications, while places like Strabane may not. Equally, in Southern Ireland the Greater Dublin region is prospering and has the "Celtic tiger" by the tail, but perhaps places west of the Shannon do not see things in the same context. Recently I was able to look at northern Virginia, which has almost become a new San José, while southern Virginia is still impoverished and follows the traditions of the old south.

In the context of globalisation, it is vital that we ask ourselves what roles our Government, Executive and Ministers should play in the economy to enable us to reap the best benefits for our people. Our report justified my view that the quality of Government intervention is much more important than the quantity. In other words, the Government should effectively steer the ship without necessarily firing all the furnaces or shovelling all the coal.

Others have mentioned the fiscal situation. We need to create the correct financial climate in order to attract inward investment. We have to make the appropriate choices, and our public sector needs to have the right attitude and sense of purpose. We have moved far beyond nineteenth and twentieth century circumstances and into the twenty-first century, in which everything is about partnerships. It is about people bringing different parts of the equation to the table and everyone's being better off. The Committee's view is that it is important for there to be a partnership between the "gainers" and the "losers". The last thing that we want in our small community is to have one section which is well off while another - those not in a position to benefit from the advantages that change has brought - loses out. We have to create a situation in which social sensitivity exists.

Recommendation 9 mentioned innovation, which I cannot emphasise strongly enough. Our businesses do not spend enough on innovation compared with those of other countries. Whether it be the textile industry or others, we are too slow off the mark, and perhaps that is the lesson to be learnt from the partial demise of our textile industry. We still have a major opportunity to obtain business and employment in which we are producing quality for niche markets.

Others have dealt with the single development agency, and I commend the Minister for his efforts in that direction. I must emphasise that it was the view of most of my Colleagues in the Committee that the single development agency must - [Interruption]

I ask you to draw your comments to a close.

It must not simply be recycled bureaucracy from the twentieth century. We are in the twenty-first century, and the agency has to have the teeth and claws to dig in at every opportunity. I would like to speak on, had I the opportunity, other issues such as equality and fairness. I could touch on the whole economic infrastructure for regional development. We must penetrate new technology and use that technology to create highly-paid jobs. The Minister has been an apostle of that ideal for a long time.

I would acknowledge the work of the Committee in producing the second report, and I appreciate the opportunity for debate on the economy. It is more than two years since the 'Strategy 2010' report was produced. We have implemented some of the recommendations; some are under review; some are awaiting action. It is difficult to know the original document's current status. However, no work would be complete without linking the 'Strategy 2010' report to the transportation issue and to the regional strategic framework (RSF) document. It is imperative that all three are dovetailed and that we have a cohesive strategy. We need to devise or identify a mechanism to deliver such a strategy in the context of globalisation of the economy.

The debate is useful, and there are some issues confronting us. Reference has already been made to the challenge of getting this right - a challenge facing all of us in the Assembly. Many of the people we represent are waiting for leadership and guidance and for the vital decisions to be made so that they can improve their quality of life and have job security and stability.

The need for links between education and business is outlined in recommendations 26 and 27 of the report. The original 'Strategy 2010' document identified that a clearer focus is needed for the further and higher education sector in the provision of vocational training. In the higher education sector we have a clear academic route and some research and development, which is invaluable in supporting the economy. However, we need to have vocational training as the primary focus in our further education sector, as identified in 'Strategy 2010'. This is something that we still have to work on. We have made some progress, but there is still much more to be done. As the Minister of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment is not here, the question of the current position on this issue will have to be left hanging.

There is also the issue of the current system of career guidance, which I believe is vital in guiding young people and students on their future employment pathway. A review has been initiated, and an interim report was due in January. I stand to be corrected, but I cannot recall ever having seen that report. What is the present position of that report? If it has not been produced, when will it be available?

Links between education and business are vital throughout all levels of education even into training programmes. We must aim at providing a seamless programme so that there will be no dislocation in the education and training aspect of preparing people for work. There must also be a clear understanding that education and training must be geared towards the skill demands of industry. Some steps have been taken to bring that about, but more work must be done.

In my constituency of Upper Bann and in Craigavon, in particular, only one inward investment project was located in the borough of Craigavon in the period of the Northern Ireland Single Programming Document (SPD) 1994 to 1999. There is a danger that our TSN status might unwittingly deter some inward investment.

Areas such as this should not be disadvantaged or deprived of inward investment because of their position in TSN league tables. There is a further danger in that a rigorous implementation of TSN policies could affect adversely the economic growth of areas such as Craigavon. Setbacks to traditional industries such as textiles, in which jobs have been lost, could be encountered and a serious increase in unemployment could result. We should be careful that, in trying to bring about the equality issues and opportunities that we all support, the pendulum does not swing too far, causing a problem where hitherto there was none.

If local businesses are to prosper, they must have a level playing field and be provided with natural gas. The main urban areas in Upper Bann are Craigavon and Banbridge; however, it is not only those areas that will benefit. There will be a sub-regional benefit for the whole south-east area of the Province.

As a number of Members have withdrawn from the debate, I can expand speaking time to 10 minutes. I apologise for not informing you sooner, Mr Carrick, but I would have been able to make the revision earlier had the Whips informed me that some Members had withdrawn their names.

I commend the report. I thank the Committee Clerk, the support staff, researchers and advisers for their patience, diligence and very sterling work. I also thank the groups that gave written and oral presentations. Their input was absolutely invaluable to our consultation process. I thank the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson and the members of the Committee for making our deliberations interesting and very enjoyable.

It was no easy task. The territory covered by economic policy is massive. If social issues are also included - as they were - the task is nothing short of gigantic. It covers almost every Government Department from transport and health to education, culture and leisure. Very few Departments escape the umbrella of economic development.

The most important message that I want to come out of the Committee report is that economic development can never operate as a stand-alone policy. Economic and social development must always go hand in hand. The wealth of a nation should not be measured by gross national product alone. Other indices mentioned by the Chairperson such as long-term unemployment, child poverty, inequality and deprivation should also be used to measure growth so that we can never again fall into that terrible trap of widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The success of this region must be measured as much by its quality of life as by its quantity of production.

The second message that I would like to give involves the culture that surrounds economic development. Very few Members would disagree that a fear-of-failure mentality has crippled our ability to move forward fast and has condemned us to playing second fiddle to all other industrial regions of the world. Countries as far away as South Korea, which Dr McDonnell mentioned, or as close as our nearest neighbour, the Republic, are shining examples of how it can be done. However, we must be prepared to take risks.

The aim must be to achieve a socially and geographically balanced approach to economic development, while learning and growing through increased co-operation and interaction with our closest neighbours at home, in Europe and further afield. Where do we begin? This report, as Mr Neeson said, provides a starting point by making recommendations that give the go-ahead for a thoroughly modern approach to the change that is taking place in the global economy. That change will overtake us if we do not act now and act fast. All we need is the combined wisdom of our Executive and the newly inclusive Economic Development Forum, which was one of our recommendations, to start weaving the parts together to drive Northern Ireland plc full steam ahead.

As Mr Carrick said, many people are waiting for guidance and leadership from us. It might, therefore, be useful at this stage to offer a few helpful hints on what we in the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition believe are the most important recommendations to come from this report, the recommendations that would, if implemented, help to push the buttons to get us to where we want to be. I will not give the points in any order of preference.

First, I would like to consider the issue of quality of life. We should begin by directing our modern industrial development to those areas that can contribute to the well-being of society here and on the global scale. I am referring to the promotion of clean, green technologies and life and health technologies. It has been said many times that we have a highly educated population, so why should our research hospitals and our universities not be the first to discover a cure for cancer or foot-and-mouth disease? Why can our old established industries like Harland and Wolff not pioneer the irreversible move into new and renewable energy sources in the area of offshore wind? Tourism should also be touched on. Work is already being done on this, and I commend that, but more needs to be on branding and the other issues that Mr McClarty raised.

Secondly, I want to look at the beauty, the value and the fun of innovation, design and creativity. Why can our reputation as the world's leading textile manufacturer not be channelled into the high-value fashion market? Irish linen is getting there in spite of us, but it needs our help.

What about advertising, film making, television production, dance, music and sport? Those are all areas where we have huge creative, artistic and sporting talent, but they have succeeded with little or no help from us. Is it not time that we turned our attention to our talent instead of always believing that success can be bought only with a plane ticket? I am talking about our young people going abroad to find success elsewhere or investors coming in because they offer more than our local industry. I am not knocking inward investment - it is valuable - but we must start looking at the wealth of what we have here.

What about our young people? Our education system attempts to teach them to pass exams but gives them no knowledge or skills relevant to business or enterprise culture. A researcher in that area, Brian Cummins said

Further education establishments and schools at secondary and primary level are all willing and ready to play their part; we must give them a chance.

Another important area of change that was mentioned by the Chairperson of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee relates to the increasing number of women in the workplace, the need to accommodate that and the changing family circumstances that that implies.

I mentioned change, and one area that we can no longer ignore is the single European currency. Whatever our stance on the issue, we must begin to look seriously at and prepare for any detrimental effects of the arrival of the single currency on our doorstep on 1 January. That applies not only to our trade with these partners but also to inward investment.

Finally, the promotion of business that treats its workforce with respect, provides opportunity for all, particularly the most marginalised, and makes a contribution to its community is a vital ingredient in the new modern, socially responsible culture. The value of the social economy and the non-governmental organisation sector must not be underestimated. The report gives the go-ahead for these things to happen. All we need now is the vision, imagination and confidence to make it all happen and to take the risk.

I congratulate the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee on the product of considerable work. In a sense a careful and politically led consideration of 'Strategy 2010' has, in fact, been long overdue. 'Strategy 2010' described itself as having some of the characteristics of a draft that, in due course, would be recommended to what was to be a new devolved level of Government in Northern Ireland. It is sad that circumstances, during the course of 1999 and 2000, meant that some bits of the strategy have had to, perforce, be implemented, or implemented in part, ahead of having a democratic debate through the politicians on what the strategy should actually include. The Committee has now - this is very welcome - begun the work of making economic policy more accountable.

The report rightly goes through a wide range of factors that are considered to be possible causes of a regions' rate of economic growth. As Chairperson of the Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment Committee, could I also add that that Committee hopes, in due course and in some detail, to report on the contribution of so-called human capital, particularly training, and the availability of skilled labour and the contribution of that to economic development. Therefore there will be, in a sense, a dovetailing with the recent report.

'Strategy 2010' was certainly noble in its intent, but it was clearly characterised by a number of problems, some of which have been well summarised here today. Paragraph 9 in the executive summary of the report outlines the difficulties.

Let me highlight just one of those difficulties - and here I will draw on my professional experience from before I entered the realm of elected politics. 'Strategy 2010' was conceived as a regional economic development study, but it was constructed without serious consultation with economic experts or economists from outside what was then the Department of Economic Development. That is a rather strange way of going about devising an economic strategy. It is like the Admiralty designing a new battleship or aircraft carrier without making any reference to naval architects.

Of course, a strategy should not be an exercise in creating an abstract economic thesis. In some ways, perhaps, the over-theoretical sophistication of some economists partly explains why nobody wants to talk to them. However, ideally, the strategy should have been somewhat informed by sound economic analysis. In its process of construction there was not a wide enough and sufficiently well structured consultation process - as the Deputy Chairperson of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee has already said.

Since I have limited time, I will not simply list the many recommendations in the report that I am in complete agreement with. Rather, I shall highlight three areas where there is room for differing nuances and emphases.

First, in paragraph 11 of the executive summary there is a recommendation for a much-expanded role for the Economic Development Forum. Over recent years there has been a tremendous multiplication of forums in Northern Ireland, particularly in the business field that we are considering today. However, the economy's most urgent need is for entrepreneurs and managers to start, build and expand companies that provide the products and services that the world wants. Action is needed, not simply more talking.

I would have thought that we could have been confident that a combination of the Committee, the Civic Forum and the business and trade union representatives on the Northern Ireland Economic Council, alongside the Minister and the Executive as a whole, would be sufficient to provide democratic accountability and/or sectional representation in the devising and implementation of policy.

My second point relates to the review of fiscal incentives - recommendations 1, 3 and 7, for example. I am glad that a review has taken place. There will obviously be differing views, some of which are contained in the various volumes of evidence, on the desirability of a Southern-style system of very low rates of corporate profit taxation. There is clear evidence of the need to rebalance state support to companies away from grant assistance to physical capital and toward "softer" assets such as research and development, management, consultancy and design.

Moreover, there is now little doubt - and evidence of this was presented to the Committee - that during the direct rule period, industrial policy often had the perverse consequence of subsidising and, therefore, encouraging corporate inefficiency. Taking industrial grants - from IDB, LEDU and so on - as a percentage of company profits or of value added, Northern Ireland for many years had the dubious distinction of being the most grant-dependent region in Europe, west of the former Communist bloc.

Recommendation 37 of the report relates to the Northern Ireland Economic Council. I entirely endorse the sentiment regarding the importance of economic research that is provided somewhat at arm's length from the general administrative and Government machine. I have a slight, albeit non-financial interest here, since that is an area that I used to work in about 12 years ago.

I am less sure of the recommendation that is contained in the Committee's report to add a regional and economic forecasting role to the Northern Ireland Economic Council, as economic forecasts have been carried out since the late 1980s by the separate research body, the Northern Ireland Economic Research Centre.

The issue of independent economic advice to the Government, and by implication to us as Assembly Members, is the subject of an ongoing review. I am a little concerned that the report might be seen to be prejudging some aspects of the results of that review, although I entirely endorse the underlying theme of the value of and need to maintain independent sources of strategic economic analysis and good sources of independent statistics.

Notwithstanding those three points of qualification, I welcome this report in the round. It is a good start to the process of re-engineering 'Strategy 2010'. Since 1990, Northern Ireland's output and employment growth performance has certainly surpassed the United Kingdom average by a substantial margin, but the challenge now is to build, so as to continue and maintain that achievement.

I support the motion.

Like other Members before me, I commend the Chairperson and the Committee for carrying out a very difficult task and for the panoramic view they have given us of the way forward in industrial development and social well-being. I would like to think that it is not a wish list, but that it will be further honed down and developed into a series of enterprises that are properly prioritised and, equally important, properly funded to be capable of implementation.

It is in a sense a vade mecum of where we are going in economic and social terms, and for that reason it is a very important document. Dr Birnie has dealt with the origins of this paper, and I well remember very severe criticisms being made of the 2010 document because of its lack of external input and expertise from other fields. However, that can be addressed as time goes on.

One is not qualified to be categorical in any one area, but the question of the land border between ourselves and the Republic of Ireland is a very big subject given the differential in taxes and duties and the potential differential in coinage. How that will affect us needs to be addressed much more fundamentally than it has been in this document. It would be tempting to go down that avenue with fiscal flexibility, the Barnett formula and tax duties, but I must resist that because we will be trapped for eternity if we address these lofty issues. I will leave that for another time.

I have taken one or two areas which time will allow me to address. The first is recommendation 13 on regional disparities. This is a very complex issue, particularly if we are looking at a strategy based on a knowledge-driven economic society. If information technology is going to be the central plank of the strategy to dispense with regional disparities, IT education must be decentralised, particularly at university level. Graduates will naturally be the focus of most IT companies, and the only way to ensure inward investment in regions that have not yet received it is to create a local pool. Quite frankly, the current provision of HND and HNC at these levels may not be adequate.

It is important to address this in another context as well. The real meaning of wealth is well-being. Well-being is not based on economic factors alone, it also relates to social factors. We must create a new society in which that well-being exists. Everyone agrees that long-term unemployment is a primary issue which needs to be tackled first but, in reality, it is difficult to go about doing this. Recommendation 16 of the report notes that employers are reluctant to recruit the long-term unemployed. There are economic disincentives in social security and welfare benefits, and the skills base still needs to be addressed. In addressing the lack of skills, the report refers once again to IT, but we cannot all participate in this field. There must be other skills from which people can earn a good living. While addressing the IT deficit, we must also address the lack of general skills. Many of the long-term unemployed would not be comfortable in an IT-based job. We must look beyond IT, even though it is fashionable today.

I welcome the concept of a tax exemption for creative industries, a sector which could assist regional decentralisation. We have an enormous wealth of talent in the creative industries which we have yet to harvest. This is not just a cultural issue, but an economic matter, and there is enormous potential for export if the cultural industry is approached on a full economic basis.

The tourism industry was mentioned by one or two Members. In such a broad, panoramic paper there must be something that has not been emphasised - the potential of tourism has been under-emphasised. We speak about tourism all the time, and we all support the concept of boosting that industry, but we need to get down to brass tacks. A new economic development agency which has been set up will devote some of its energies to key inward investment in the tourism sector. However, the agency must be driven, it must be financed and it must have specific targets to deliver a strong tourist industry. If it were properly dealt with, tourism could become the second largest base industry in Northern Ireland.

Recommendation 22 addresses support for the social economy. The recommendation, and the Executive's synopsis of it, relate once again to the local economy. The linked issues of regional disparity and long-term unemployment, which emerge once again in this recommendation, can only be dealt with if the local economy is addressed.

I do not recall which recommendation deals with partnership, but partnership must be all-embracing. It must incorporate all forms of representatives and elected personnel if the concept of inclusiveness is to take on its true meaning. There is also the practical argument that the more people you seek ideas from, the better are the ideas you get.

It is time that we removed the financial cap on local government spending in the economic development sector. This would allow local politicians who represent the rate payers - those who contribute to the funding - to make more fundamental decisions which address the market failure in many districts.

Referring back to the IT syndrome, the location of technology centres needs to be more dispersed, with greater emphasis on areas outside the cosmopolitan areas of Belfast, Derry or any other area that aspires to such a description. You can get away from that.

Unemployment is another issue. The only suggestion that I found in that synopsis was that the Committee would urge the Department to consider the fast track to information technology (FIT). As a group, the long-term unemployed are not all going to be accommodated by that. We must broaden the concept of how we enhance the skills and retrain the unemployed with IT abilities, and also with other abilities, if we are to tackle the long-term unemployment issue properly.

This is a social contract, and many issues will need to be honed down and developed. Each time a decision is made to pursue a particular priority, the financial resources must be identified and considered at the same time in order that the practicality of the implementation is carried out. These recommendations and their development should not simply be a wish list of things to be done in the future, without hope of implementation.

I am sure I do not need to remind Members that the next decade will be one of massive change to the economic infrastructure of our society. The old labour-intensive industries, such as shipbuilding and textile manufacturing, are slowly being replaced by new industries. One need only look to companies such as Nortel to see how this is the case. All over the world this cycle of decline in the old industries and rejuvenation through the new service providers is being repeated. It is vital that we in Northern Ireland embrace the changes taking place in the world markets to ensure that we offer an attractive, competitive and first-class destination for would-be investors.

I would like to take this opportunity to place on record my own support for the proposals outlined in the 'Strategy 2010' document. The proposals as outlined in section 9 of the document are innovative, but they are also realistic and achievable aims which can ensure the continuance of the economic renaissance which Northern Ireland has seen in the last few years. I shall focus my remarks today on section 9 of the report, which outlines the recommendations of the steering group. One of the recommendations that grabbed my attention is contained in the skills and education section of the report, page 150, in which the authors recommend that

In my view this has much to do with raising the value, both in the eyes of employers and of students who may wish to undertake such a course, of the current GNVQ qualification. The fact of the matter is that although it carries the equivalent value of two A levels, the GNVQ is scorned as a qualification. This is most unsatisfactory. Young people who take up these courses must be assured that their qualifications are of value and will guarantee them a fair chance when they do enter the employment market.

Another of the recommendations of the steering group is contained under the section entitled 'Innovation', page 158. In this section they say

The importance of being seen on the international stage as a place where technological innovation and improvement are rapidly evolving is vital if Northern Ireland is to hold its own in an increasingly dynamic world market. The Government cannot simply sit back and hope for great genius and design to come forth. They must take an active part in encouraging companies to diversify and invest in research and new techniques, and the commencement of such a campaign would be an excellent start. The campaign could take the form of a charter mark as established under the previous Tory Government and awarded for excellence, or perhaps an incentive to the company proven to be most innovative and forward-looking.

One of the most interesting recommendations is contained in the section entitled 'The Planning System', page 178. In this section we read that the steering group recommends that the Assembly introduce a rates regime which helps to nurture small, indigenous retail businesses. One can only assume that by "nurture small, indigenous businesses" the authors of this document did not mean "cripple many of them with a massive 8% rates rise". The ordinary shopkeepers in my constituency remember who is to blame for this and no doubt will deliver their verdict come the elections. There is, however, much in this report to be welcomed. Many of the proposals are constructive and well thought out, and I have no hesitation in recommending its adoption by the House.

I welcome the Committee's report on the 'Strategy 2010' document and commend the Committee for the work and ideas on what it deems is required for the strategy's implementation in Northern Ireland. This is an opportunity for the Assembly, its Committees and all the Departments to grasp what this Committee has recommended and to endeavour to see that its recommendations are implemented. We have seen from many previous Committee reports the need for devolved government, and this is a further example of how that can be improved on. It is a vast job for our elected Members, but after a 30-year vacuum it is a golden opportunity for us all to do something. We had the luxury of apportioning blame on others before this - we could blame the Northern Ireland Office and Secretaries of State - but now it is our opportunity to address the problems that really concern Northern Ireland.

I echo the Committee's concern on the three issues where we in Northern Ireland are at a distinct disadvantage to the rest of the United Kingdom because of the proximity of the Republic of Ireland and the border. The Republic of Ireland has lower corporation tax, lower fuel prices and road tax and the damaging currency differential, which is a big problem.

There are 37 detailed recommendations, and a number are worthy of mention. Recommendation 12 - on a single development agency incorporating the IDB, LEDU and the Industrial Research and Technology Unit - will streamline the provision of aid to business and reduce wasteful duplication, which can only be a positive step.

On the environmental issues, I agree with the enhanced environmental protection. Industries should be encouraged towards clean, green production methods, using alternative energy if possible, and to work for a reduction in waste production.

Recommendation 10 is important, and business and industry should take note. The recent Northern Ireland Waste Arisings Survey Report by the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) pointed out that waste collection, processing and disposal is costing Northern Ireland business more than £45 million per year. Fewer than one in three companies are taking effective steps to minimise the impact of waste on their business profits. The environment is a very important aspect of our life, and caring for our environment will not only help to reduce the negative impact of pollution on the environment in which we live, but it should also save businesses money if they take the recommendations on board.

Recommendation 11 is an important step in recognising that the development of new technology industries can be designed to enhance environmental protection and reduce global warming while remaining profitable. In my constituency, the research and development of a biogas plant has been ongoing in Fivemiletown. That development hopes to have a number of uses, producing three saleable products - electricity, heat and bio-fertilisers. If operational, it will benefit the whole local community and the environment by recycling waste material. More research and development in similar environmental technologies would benefit the environmental and economic life of Northern Ireland.

Recommendations 31 to 33 will help build on our economic strengths in the tourism sector. Fermanagh and South Tyrone should benefit from this, as a fully co-ordinated strategy will help the overall aim of a partnership approach on economic development through a sustainable approach to tourism.

This should focus on a quality product and a quality service. The Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency has much to offer with the fishing lakes, boating and the friendly bed-and-breakfast accommodation - the whole historic character of the constituency. Through the implementation of this report, we should be in a better position to take advantage of economic benefits for tourism.

In conclusion, this report has the potential to benefit the whole of Northern Ireland. It should not gather dust but should be acted upon. I support the motion.

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