Mr. Glyn Roberts:

The reality with regard to the retail sector in 2012 is that consumer confidence certainly still was very low. People are just not spending in the same way they were and as a result, there were huge challenges in 2012. However, Belfast still has a very strong retail offering. We are working hard to ensure that it is a destination and that we have a strong daytime and night-time economy. In addition to a good mix of retail, we have a very successful continental market, which is important in helping to generate footfall because anyone who visits the continental market will tend to go to other shops when they are in the city centre. We are contemplating the development of initiatives such as a Belfast restaurant week or an independent retail week and have been trying to implement lots of ideas. I welcome the focus of Belfast City Council in particular on trying to get more independent retailers into Belfast city centre because they obviously add something different. While it was not without its difficulties, it is a very strong retail offering. Many of our towns and cities in Northern Ireland have very strong retail offers. We still have a reasonably strong independent retail sector that offers something different.

As for the Titanic exhibition, its visitor numbers surpassed all expectations. While it is a fantastic opportunity, we need to do a bit more work to connect the Titanic museum to the rest of the city centre. I have a slight worry that it is almost a destination in itself, in that people might go there but not go into the city centre as much. There is something of a job of work to do in that regard, which I think can be done as it is only a very short walk away. However, the Titanic exhibition is a fantastic thing for Belfast and the centre really is a fantastic building. In addition, there is a lot more work to be done to develop the Titanic Quarter and, hopefully, we will continue to build in that area - for instance, through the work of Northern Ireland Screen - to make sure that more television productions and films are shot there. There is still a lot of potential and I would like to see a lot more work done to develop the Titanic Quarter and to ensure we can match up jobs and skill sets in order that the communities of Short Strand and east Belfast benefit as well. While I acknowledge that they have benefited, we need to do a fair bit more work. However, the Titanic Quarter and its future development is very exciting. We also have the Royal Exchange and fantastic opportunities in the Cathedral Quarter. We are developing the concept of Belfast being a city of quarters, which obviously does not just mean four quarters. The quarters include the Titanic Quarter, the Cathedral Quarter, the Gaeltacht Quarter and Queen's Quarter. They all add to a city of quarters in a city that offers something very different. It is a city that ultimately must realise it is now a shared city. It is a city of many different cultures, not just Unionist and Nationalist. It is a city that I believe has something to offer and we have made good progress in this regard. While I acknowledge the last couple of months have been a setback, members may rest assured that the city will bounce back.