Mr. Arnold Hatch:

On the question about industry slipping across the Border, I do not think it is as simple as that because it really depends on the type of industry. If a company slips across the Border and sets up headquarters in this country, 90% of the companies are probably getting their goods from somewhere in the UK, whether it is Northern Ireland or elsewhere. There will be difficulties if there is a hard Brexit and I think we all accept that. Some transport companies we know have set up on both sides of the Border, on both sides of the river, to get the best of both worlds.

In terms of infrastructure, we would see it as being very important to get the A5 started, as it has been on the go for so many years. Jim Nicholson, MEP, asked a question in the European Parliament this week about PEACE PLUS because it is not clear how that will be delivered in co-operation with the UK Government. We have to keep lobbying. One of the fortes of the East Border Region is that we can lobby right across Europe if we have to.