I must point out that east Antrim contains three boroughs - Larne, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey. They are both independent and interdependent. What affects one part affects them all.

That is true in the current economic climate, especially in the aftermath of September 11.

A catalogue of job losses has removed thousands of positions from our economy over the last year: Nortel Networks and Bombardier Shorts in Newtownabbey; Fort James UK Ltd; AVX and Insilico Technologies (UK) Ltd in Larne; and most recently Solectron and C-MAC Network Systems Inc in Carrickfergus. Countless other small firms have either closed their doors or savagely reduced the numbers of their workers.

Unfortunately, east Antrim has been down this road before. In the 1960s and 1970s, almost one quarter of the man-made fibre industry of the United Kingdom was located in that area. Names such as Courtaulds, ICI and the tobacco firm Carreras appeared on the wage packets of many homes in the three boroughs. A change in global economic terms led to a disastrous period of closure for those firms. The blow to the economy in local terms was manifest in the virtual stagnation of commercial life in those towns. Shops that depended on the spending power of these workers closed, thus adding hundreds more to the unemployment registers.

With the terrorist campaign in full flow, the intervening years brought a certain unexpected respite to the economic life of the area. Many residents found part-time or full-time posts in the security forces and the Prison Service, with the Carreras site eventually housing the RUC stores. Today, with the present, imperfect peace process, there has been a substantial loss of these security-related jobs. That is a hidden factor in the job problem in east Antrim.

Since the region had a particularly high concentration and percentage of these sources of employment, this has in many ways created a double whammy for my constituents in East Antrim. Are our towns once again to suffer the commercial downturn that afflicted them in the 1970s? There is perhaps one vital difference today. In the 1970s, the direct rule regime was not particularly sympathetic, and was disinclined to intervene in east Antrim for political, as much as economic, reasons. Today we have once again a local Administration that can reflect the concerns of our constituents. Just as it was a local Administration that first attracted the man-made fibre and tobacco industry into east Antrim, the current, restored Administration is in a position to actively pursue inward investment. It is also in a position to work with large companies to minimise the current unemployment downturn and ensure that these companies and their workforce are well positioned to benefit from the inevitable upturn.

In this era of joined-up government, I appeal to the Ministers - particularly the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment - to set up a task force, comprising the six MLAs, representatives from the borough councils and business/commercial life and the Minister's officials to see how existing links, for instance via twin towns and sister cities, might be profitably exploited. Perhaps a trade mission focused solely on the needs of east Antrim could be put in motion. I am sure that the local enterprise development agencies in each of the boroughs can contribute their expertise in the creation of small and medium enterprises to ensure that the economy does not put all its eggs in one basket again.

When the current survey into to the location of Civil Service jobs is complete, the Minister of Finance and Personnel will have an opportunity to ensure that a significant number of those jobs are located in Larne, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey. Those towns currently have 0·6%, 0·5% and 0·3% of the total Civil Service jobs in Northern Ireland, which is an absolute scandal. Those stable jobs would help to sustain that critical mass of the economically active residents which these towns require during this period of industrial readjustment.

The Minister of the Environment also has a role to play by ensuring that the outstanding natural beauty and resources are enhanced and not destroyed by endless, thoughtless and, in many cases, tasteless development, so that the tourist and recreational potential of the area can be fully exploited.

The Minister for Employment and Learning also has a vital role. One strong nucleus in the area that can attract employees and employers is the strong higher and further education base provided by the East Antrim Institute of Further and Higher Education, currently based in Newtownabbey. That base could be considerably strengthened if the Larne campus were speedily developed to its full potential to provide a focal point for the upgrading of the skills of that local workforce, thus enhancing their prospects and the prospects of the town in attracting inward investment.

The Jordanstown campus provides a strong research and development base, which has been useful in the task of spinning out new enterprises, particularly in the high-tech and biomedical field. It is currently the centre for training for the hospitality and tourist industry. I hope that the University of Ulster will be encouraged to develop that expertise at the Jordanstown site given its high standing and its proximity to many tourist attractions and hotels in the area.

The Minister for Regional Development has a crucial role to play by ensuring that the trans-European network route linking Larne to the rest of the system is not reduced beyond Whitehead, and that the A2 beyond Greenisland towards Carrickfergus is urgently upgraded, so that businesses in Carrickfergus can more readily access and exit their industrial units.

Will the Member bring his remarks to a close?

The Minister for Social Development needs to address the serious problems facing parts of the towns of Larne, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey, where once thriving local shopping areas are being painted over to improve their appearance. It is a cosmetic exercise that is merely masking the fact that the commercial heart is being squeezed out of those towns.

Will the Member bring his remarks to a close?

I am drawing my remarks to a close.

We are addressing an urgent problem today with job losses running into thousands. Commercial life is in need of a confidence boost, and if the House supports the people of east Antrim, east Antrim will eventually support the economy of Northern Ireland.

Order.

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Several times in the House, when we have come to very important points, speeches have had to be squeezed into six minutes. It is totally ridiculous, especially given the seriousness of this situation. It has happened in debates on education and in others. I draw it to your attention.

The Member knows that according to Standing Orders the Adjournment debate is only permitted to last one hour. Many Members are interested in participating in the debate and in order to give the Minister time to respond it is important that we restrict the timing.

I, along with my Colleagues, support Mr Beggs's motion, although I wonder what benefit it will be as we have already met many of the people concerned in the Assembly and the Executive. We have written to the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister. We also met Sir Reg Empey and put exactly the same points to him that we are putting today. I wonder how seriously those in authority view the situation in east Antrim.

I remember the days when a boy left school in Larne, and it was just a formality to go into the BTH, as it then was, and take on an apprenticeship, or go down to the Pie, or the NSTC as it became. He could go to Ballylumford, or into the Bleach Green, the Morne, the paper mill, or down to Larne Harbour. Sadly, many of those outstanding businesses that have served Larne well over the years are no longer there.

I have to agree with what my Colleagues, Mr Beggs and Mr O'Connor, have said about east Antrim. People look at the area through rose-tinted glasses. They seem to think that east Antrim is made up of leafy lanes in Jordanstown, and that there is nothing beyond that. East Antrim consists not just of Jordanstown, but also of Greenisland, Carrickfergus, Larne, Carnlough and Glenarm. Many of those areas are in great deprivation.

East Antrim has suffered sectarian attacks over the past few months, especially in the Larne area. The whole of east Antrim has received very poor publicity in the media and throughout the world. When thinking of inward investment, I have to bear in mind the fact that people can only come to an area when they are encouraged to come.

I make no apology for asking the following questions. When it comes to focusing attention on east Antrim, where has the Industrial Development Board (IDB) been? Where has LEDU been in promoting east Antrim? What have those bodies been doing? What have they been saying? Why have there been so few visits? Why do we hear of jobs being created west of the Bann? Why do we hear of employers setting up business in Londonderry, Dungannon and other areas, while Larne, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey suffer?

I sit on Newtownabbey Borough Council. At times, we are concerned with the Nortel set-up. We have Nortel at one end of the constituency and F. G. Wilson at the other. God forbid that anything should happen to those two companies, or east Antrim would be in desperate trouble. The Minister has kindly come along today. However, I must ask her - where is our college in Larne? What is delaying the investment?

We have rightly heard that the East Antrim Institute is not sited in east Antrim. It is in north Belfast. Why are the people of Larne and the surrounding area penalised through there being so little further education provision in the town? We know that youth unemployment has increased. Is that because they are not encouraged to pursue further education in Larne? I cannot answer the question. I do not know why it has taken so long for that particular development to take place.

Many people in east Antrim are trying. The six MLAs have been vigilant in seeking to bring new investment to the area. We have met together, we have met those in authority, we have met business people and we have asked the right questions. However, nothing seems to happen. I ask a simple question - why has east Antrim been neglected? It is unfair and something needs to be done. I call on those in authority to take east Antrim on board.

I totally agree with my Colleague Ken Robinson when he calls for a task force to be set up. Indeed, I have been calling for that for months. That is one issue that I put to Sir Reg Empey when we met him. A task force must be set up that is solely concerned with promoting east Antrim and with bringing jobs to the area before it is too late. I am pleased to support the motion.

I recognise that the debate focuses on job losses in east Antrim. However, I am acutely aware that employment catchment areas do not recognise constituency or district council boundaries. Madam Deputy Speaker, I have taken your advice on my contribution to the debate and I shall do my best to adhere to the guidelines that you have set me. I thank you for permitting me to contribute to the debate.

The neighbouring constituency of South Antrim, which I represent, could be described as a gateway to the rest of the Province. Traffic that enters the port of Larne in east Antrim passes through south Antrim on its way to Belfast and to the west of the Province. Belfast International Airport is in the heart of my constituency, and the M2 motorway runs its full length. One could argue that an infrastructure and communications network would rubber-stamp south and east Antrim as an area of commercial attractiveness. However, the announcement in December 2001 by the Antrim textile company Norfil that it was to cease production with the loss of almost 200 jobs heralded a catalogue of job losses in the region. Since then we have had bad news from companies based in both constituencies. Although situated outside south Antrim, companies in east Antrim and other areas draw a large part of their workforce from the Antrim and Newtownabbey council areas. Although part of Newtownabbey is in east Antrim, most of the town is situated in south Antrim, a point well made by my Colleague Ken Robinson.

Nortel is one such company, just over the constituency border in East Antrim. It boasts many South Antrim employees in its workforce - or rather, it did.

The tragic events in the United States of America on 11 September dealt devastating and far-reaching blows to the aviation industry. Belfast International Airport, one of County Antrim's greatest strengths, suffered as a result. The withdrawal of the British Airways flights to Heathrow and the further announcement by Aer Lingus brought more bad news for jobs in south-east Antrim. Shorts is one of the Province's major players and an attractive employer for people residing in County Antrim. However, it felt the draught of the American tragedy. Fortunately, the initial prediction of 2,000 job losses has been reduced, and the final total has yet to be announced.

I advise the Member that he has taken some geographical licence. The guidance is that Members should confine their remarks to the subject areas indicated. I understand that you are making the link, Mr Wilson, but you must ensure that those links are constantly made.

I will try to come back into line, Madam Deputy Speaker. We are witnessing a hangover from the years of direct rule when we did not have local politicians focusing on local issues. However, it would be wrong to be totally despondent. Since devolution, new jobs have been created in east Antrim. There is no doubt about that; it is not a matter for dispute. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the Department for Employment and Learning are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the Province continues to remain attractive and to come to the aid of those who have suffered losses in the region. I urge the Minister to use all her offices to do everything possible to speed up the process of retraining and re-employing those who have lost jobs in the region.

TOP

Will the Member give way?

I have finished.

I thank Mr Beggs for giving me the opportunity to respond and to discuss some ways in which my Department approaches activities to address the impact of the recent job losses and the wider need to provide all our people with jobs and lifelong learning opportunities. Since the 1960s, east Antrim has had a reputation for being the centre of Northern Ireland's major industry. While things have changed considerably - Mr Beggs would probably say dramatically - it is vital that we maintain and build on what still exists and keep those companies in Northern Ireland so that we are still positioned to take advantage of future opportunities. It is obvious that all the Members present have a genuine concern for their constituency, and that has been articulated very clearly in the debate.

Job losses have a devastating effect on everyone in a community, including other businesses, families and Members. Nobody escapes. Today it was County Antrim, with the closure of Dorma in Randalstown, and we can see exactly the effect of that. It saps morale and undermines confidence. There have been so many redundancies and job losses in east Antrim that I will be unable to mention them all, but I know that Solectron dealt a major blow to the area. The job losses are regrettable, but they are a result of the global downturn in the telecoms market. It was a commercial decision taken by the company. However, I am thankful that it still has a presence there, and it is essential that we keep it there. The IDB will work with Solectron to explore ways in which the local operation can, it is hoped, start to grow again. This will include developing relationships with the parent company to position Northern Ireland as a preferred site for other mobile projects within the corporation.

The IDB will continue to market the east Antrim area to potential investors. From April 1998 to date, there have been 75 first-time and 19 repeat visits to the area by potential investors. Although the Member may think that is not enough, it illustrates the ongoing contact between the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the local councils in east Antrim to understand their economic priorities and to work together in marketing the region to potential investors.

Although we are all aware of the current difficult market conditions and the severe downturn, particularly in the telecommunications market, Northern Ireland still retains a strong cluster of world-class telecoms companies. Those companies have not been immune to the impact of the market downturn, and the repercussions have hit hard in Northern Ireland, including in east Antrim. However, I believe that the availability of high-speed telecommunications will become more important than ever to businesses as new applications are developed and the level of e-business and e-commerce increases. We must press on in this area and ensure that, as a region, we are well placed to respond to the upturn in the market when it comes. The Government have a key role to play in the area to provide opportunities and hopes for the future.

I am very aware that east Antrim has suffered over the past months as a result of several major companies announcing redundancies and closures. Most of those companies had contracts with Nortel, and most of the redundancies have taken place since 11 September. My Department's main concern is to minimise, as far as possible, the impact of those redundancies on the lives of the individuals who have been affected. The jobcentres work closely with the IDB, LEDU, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, the Social Security Agency and the relevant local companies to try to offer as full a range of services as possible to those who have been made redundant.

Professional advice on new career opportunities is available to everyone affected by the redundancies. This is provided by my Department's career officers, as well as by qualified staff from the Educational Guidance Service for Adults, with which we liaise closely. As part of that service they provide information and advice on job searching; curriculum vitae writing; local job vacancies; job vacancies further afield, including in the European Union countries; and training and other services available through New Deal.

Where appropriate, job clubs have been set up for employees to attend prior to the date of their redundancy. My staff maintain close working relationships with the Social Security Agency and, indeed, are co-located with that agency in Carrickfergus. That joined-up service enables us to have an integrated and holistic approach to our advisory and support service by incorporating advice on benefits issues.

In Larne our approach has been co-ordinated within the local enterprise agency, LEDCOM, which is being particularly proactive and is helping to co-ordinate a wide range of activities. It has helped to facilitate meetings between the relevant local companies and the appropriate agencies, including our jobcentre and social security staff, and it has proved to be effective. The Carrickfergus jobcentre manager is currently in the process of arranging meetings with the enterprise agency in the Carrickfergus area to discuss replicating that model there.

Other initiatives and services include the new Focus for Work provision that was introduced last October, which provides a range of measures to assist unemployed people back into work, and which has started well in the local area. There are also employment review interviews, which are voluntary interviews for jobseeker clients approaching their thirteenth week of unemployment to discuss work goals and the steps taken to achieve them. We have the job clubs, which aim to provide job search skills for unemployed people, including those under notice of redundancy or who are returning to the labour market. They provide individually tailored technical, procedural and personal assistance and support aimed at helping jobseekers to identify and obtain employment opportunities.

In Carrickfergus the job club provider is Enterprise Ulster, and in Larne it is JTM Training and Employment. In December it held a job club for those being made redundant at AVX, and they will have a further session in March. Training for Work is a new vocational training programme aimed at assisting clients with an identified training need to improve their chances of getting a job. A key objective is to help the client develop and maintain positive work attitudes in a programme lasting for up to 26 weeks.

Enterprise Ulster has been piloting a programme across Northern Ireland since last September. WorkTrack is particularly suitable for those who need to establish a work history. There is also the Bridge to Employment programme, which aims to provide customised training courses to equip the unemployed, including the long-term unemployed, with skills to enable them to compete for new job opportunities. Members all know about New Deal, the major element of the Government's welfare to work strategy, which gives unemployed people a chance to develop their potential, gain skills and the experience to find work.

It is depressing that all the jobs are gone, and we are discussing remedial action, but this is what we have to do to get back to our previous position.

On the wider issue of education, training and lifelong learning provision, my Department supports a range of provisions in the east Antrim area. I will advise the Assembly of the activities in place and under development in the further education sector.

The central aims of further education in Northern Ireland relate directly to the subject of our debate: supporting economic development and widening access to, and increasing participation in, further education and training. Another aim is to improve quality and raise standards. These aims are the bedrock of the Department's lifelong learning strategy, which reflects the Executive's focus on economic development and social inclusion.

As the largest provider of vocational education and training in Northern Ireland, the further education sector is ideally placed to respond effectively to these challenges. In 1999-2000, the latest year for which figures on full-time enrolment are available, the further education sector had over 120,000 vocational and almost 70,000 non-vocational enrolments. The college closest to east Antrim is the East Antrim Institute of Further and Higher Education; in 1999-2000 it had 6,700 vocational and 3,690 non-vocational enrolments. I visited the East Antrim Institute recently. These totals include enrolments from the institute's current campus provision in Larne and its outreach provision in Carrickfergus.

In recent years the institute has widened access to further education and increased participation by individuals who, for whatever reason, had not previously taken advantage of the opportunities available. The institute has also maintained a clear focus on the economic needs of Northern Ireland. It has seen a 31% increase in enrolments in the six areas of skills need identified as important to the development of Northern Ireland's economy.

The East Antrim Institute has demonstrated particular strengths in information and communication technology training and is one of only three centres in Ireland approved to run the Cisco certified network professional qualification programme. The other two centres are in Dublin and Cork. The institute also offers one of the current pilot foundation degrees in telecommunications in conjunction with the University of Ulster.

To ensure that the outputs of the sector are aligned as closely as possible with the needs of business and industry, colleges are encouraged to develop and strengthen partnerships with the key players in the local area. These partnerships should not only drive up the demand for learning, but put in place the infrastructure to satisfy demand. That is the aim behind the partnership fund operated by my Department, which was introduced in 1999 and called the collaboration fund. That initiative aims to establish partnerships inclusive of all major interests, including the business, voluntary and community groups, local councils and chambers of commerce. To date, my Department has provided £900,000 to that fund. The East Antrim Institute has put that money to good use and has advised the Department on a range of activities that it has taken forward on the basis of that funding, such as collaboration with the borough councils of Newtownabbey, Larne and Carrickfergus, the development of the East Antrim Learning Partnership and collaboration with businesses.

I advise the Minister that there is only one more minute before the end of this debate.

I will move on swiftly, because I want to respond to some of the comments made in the debate. We have been talking about the task force on employability and long-term unemployment, and its report is due for consultation around the end of March. I hope that its proposals will be radical and innovative and will address seriously the core problems in our changing labour market and economy.

I want to respond briefly to the Members who spoke. Mr Beggs talked about the new TSN, and we await the outcome of that review. Mr Beggs, Mr O'Connor and others spoke about the Larne campus. Members are aware that an economic appraisal for a new facility has been approved. There has been some delay with the title deeds. However, it is hoped that the new further education college will be funded from the sale of the old campus, and I will do all I can to advance that as soon as possible.

I advise the Minister that, because we only have one hour for this debate, she should take a few seconds to draw her remarks to a close and advise Members that she will give them written responses.

I will certainly respond to the Members. As I have said, my Department has an open door, and I will be happy to talk to any Members. I assure all Members - and particularly Mr Beggs, who raised this matter - that I will do everything in my power to bring employment back to the east Antrim area as soon as possible. I appreciate Members' participation in the debate, and I will take all their views on board.

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