Mr. Joe Durkan:

Yes, but this will be for years because the time period is very long. Firms will be asking what is going to happen after 2017 so they will be cautious. Foreign firms in the United Kingdom, of which there are many, may think twice about expanding their activity there and may consider locating elsewhere. The question was on how they performed and my answer is "very poorly". It is not just a question of investment. Having failed to get the investment, their capital stock does not increase as it should so their long-run performance will be lower.