To ask the Minister for Infrastructure, in order to attract more people into town centres, what plans she has to make Northern Ireland’s town and city centres more people-friendly, including pedestrianising.

My Department is engaged in a range of schemes to attract people into towns and city centres. This includes the COVID-19 Town Revitalisation Programme which I announced on 28 October 2020, in conjunction with the Communities and DAERA Ministers.

Through that programme, my Department is investing £5 million in towns and cities across all Council areas in initiatives which will make it easier and more inclusive and attractive for people to access shops and services by enabling them to make more short journeys by walking, wheeling and cycling rather than travelling by car. The projects being taken forward through my Department’s element of this programme include improvements to walking and cycling infrastructure, the installation of parklets and the creation of pedestrian areas.