To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development how she will ensure that the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute 2020 Strategy complements the plans set out in her Department’s Going for Growth strategy.

AFBI, like the rest of my Department, are subject to the budget constraints as a result of the Tory Government’s cuts to the Executive’s block grant. However, AFBI has defined its strategic priorities taking on board the ambitions of the Going for Growth strategy and has articulated its desire to grow its funding from other sources using the very substantial budget allocation that it continues to receive from DARD as the platform from which to leverage this additional funding. I welcome this approach, which is entirely consistent with the ambitions set out in Going for Growth.

We are currently developing some very exciting plans for the AFBI estate which would see AFBI consolidating onto a smaller number of sites with modern, efficient, leading edge facilities. Such facilities will underpin AFBI’s scientific capabilities and its ability to bring in income from external sources. I hope to be in a position to bid for substantial capital funding to begin to deliver these plans during the next budget period.