Hilary Benn visit to Derry on March 27

Transcript

00:00I've had a great day here in Derry, Londonderry. I started off at Foyle Port, which has a long and, as you know, distinguished history.

00:10But I was really impressed by the ambition and vision they've got for the port in particular.

00:15The data centre that they've secured and the ambition they have to bring more data centres.

00:21And that shows that they are really thinking about the future of the port.

00:26I then attended the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce lunch with Keeper Archibald

00:33and talked about the great potential there is here in the North West and for the economy.

00:39And then we've just, in this very room, co-chaired a roundtable with a range of businesses

00:45talking about the industrial strategy on which we are currently consulting as the UK government

00:50and how it overlaps in many respects with the priority areas identified in the Northern Ireland Executives Programme for Government.

01:00And then I had a tour of the new Alkermere offices.

01:03I visited Alkermere in its previous form here when I was the Shadow Secretary of State

01:07and it's wonderful to see these new premises and what a successful business it is,

01:12which is so committed to bringing on staff and training them.

01:17Of course, yesterday was the spring statement.

01:19As you'll have seen, an extra £40 million for Northern Ireland in Barnet consequentials.

01:24That's on top of the £18.2 billion record allocation for Northern Ireland for next year.

01:31We've also talked, of course, about the Derry City and Straban growth deals

01:37and what it's going to do here in Derry, Londonderry to help continue the development.

01:42And I made one other point in my remarks to the Chamber of Commerce.

01:48If you look around here, we were in Ebrington and indeed Andrew, the current President, said

01:55when I was a child, I looked out and I saw the Chinooks coming in, in and out,

02:01landing behind this kind of wall and now look at what has been developed there.

02:07And I think this is proof that peace really is the foundation of prosperity

02:15and we're seeing it here in Derry, Londonderry and long may it continue.

02:19So that's what I've been up to today.