Mr. Steve Aiken:

I will answer the question on Scotland first. It is interesting because I do not think anyone - particularly in the business community - really thinks that Scotland will vote to leave the UK. What we think will happen in the longer term is that Scotland will have more devolution, that it will look for much more powers and greater repatriation of powers. That has an interesting dynamic. If Northern Ireland had a corporation tax at 12.5% - which we would like to see - Scotland could set its own corporation tax rate, as could Wales. It means that across these islands we would potentially have a future menu for people who wished to invest and grow high foreign direct investment in these islands. That is one aspect. On the other hand, we talk about these islands becoming much more interdependent, more integrated and more interconnected. The energy sector is moving not so much to an all-island energy market but to an all-islands energy market. We need to do that because of the benefits of scale, because of geography, and, frankly, because of how the wind blows. Those are the kind of things that we need to consider and to develop.

I apologise for the fact that I am answering questions together. We are also looking towards a much closer integration of our retail markets, our food distribution markets. We see ourselves moving towards a much greater reliance on a common food distribution system. We also consider that as we move we will be looking towards a much more integrated communications market. There are already moves in those areas. In one sphere we are moving towards a more deregulated set of islands and in another sphere we are moving closer. How does this fit within the view of the UK and the EU? We know from experiences of referenda that they do not always give us the answer we want. However, in the UK this will be a one-off referendum. I refer to what Vince Cable and the Prime Minister have said. I consider the UK is most likely to remain within the Single European Market. No matter what happens, I think there will be a degree of negotiation. I consider that the UK will regard remaining in the EU as being to its advantage and in its interest. However, we need to consider the "what if?" aspect. I ask the Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs to be part of the debate with the UK. We need to know what it will mean to us if the UK is not part of the EU. It is also useful for the UK to understand what it would mean to be outside the closer European body. The debate has already studied Switzerland and Norway. Norway is a classic example. It is the only country in Europe which seems to follow all the EU directives; it is the only country without a say in the EU directives. I hope I have clarified our views. We will devote a lot of time to considering and debating this matter over the next five years. The question of certainty is the key. Companies making long-term investment decisions are looking and thinking about where they will invest. That may potentially be very good news for Ireland and we need to be aware of that. Companies that may be looking at the UK may consider Ireland to be a better bet. If that comes to pass, we need to ensure that Ireland is in the best possible place to take advantage. Infrastructure and education are key areas which business and industry will be looking for.