To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any steps her Department is taking to support high street businesses in the East Londonderry constituency, including measures to improve footfall and long-term sustainability in town centres, such as Coleraine and Limavady.

While responsibility for town centre regeneration rests with the Department for Communities and development of local economic policies primarily falls to the relevant district council, my Department and its agencies will work with local partners to ensure that economic development meets local needs and priorities.

In March 2022 the Executive Office published its Report with recommendations on the High Street Task Force. My Department is responsible for recommendation 8 of the Report: ‘Fair Work on Our High Streets’. This recommendation aligns with my economic priority on Good Jobs.

Work is progressing to implement this recommendation and includes the development of a new Employment Rights Bill, promoting wider adoption of the Real Living Wage, and collaborating with the Labour Relations Agency to develop a Good Employment Charter. These measures will underpin improved job quality and workplace standards across local economies, including town centres such as Coleraine and Limavady.

My officials are also working with all eleven Councils to develop Local Economic Partnerships to address economic need on a sub-regional scale. Causeway Coast & Glens Local Economic Partnership’s Action Plan was approved in December with funding of £4.51m to support its delivery through to March 2028.