Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy, to detail any steps her Department is taking to ensure that small businesses can access practical support to adopt Artificial Intelligence, safely and productively. Minister for the Economy: My Department provides a range of practical support and guidance to small businesses on the … Continue reading AQW 50818/22-27 – Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the level of Research and Development funding allocated by her department in each of the last five years, broken down by constituency. Minister for the Economy: The table at Annex A details the level of Research and Development (R&D) funding allocated … Continue reading AQW 49117/22-27 – Research and Development funding
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any training that has been provided to staff in her Department on the use of Artificial Intelligence, including its limitations and risks, since February 2024. Minister for the Economy: Since July 2025, all staff in my Department have had access to … Continue reading AQW 49242/22-27 – Department for the Economy staff training on the use of Artificial Intelligence
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any steps she is taking to support the level of footfall on high streets, in the Mid Ulster constituency. Minister for the Economy: My Department works collaboratively across government and with local partners including councils to support economic development and regeneration … Continue reading AQW 49120/22-27 – Level of footfall on high streets in Mid Ulster
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any recent discussions she has had with employers on barriers to apprenticeship recruitment. Minister for the Economy: My officials engage regularly with employers and employer representative bodies across a range of fora to discuss skills needs, workforce development and wider labour … Continue reading AQW 48991/22-27 – Barriers to apprenticeship recruitment
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any assessment she has made of the energy requirements, associated with the expansion of (i) Artificial Intelligence; and (ii) data centre infrastructure, over the next five years. Minister for the Economy: My department recognises that the expansion of artificial intelligence and … Continue reading AQW 48871/22-27 – Energy requirements of expansion of Artificial Intelligence
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy whether her Department has a designated lead or responsible officer on her Department's use of Artificial Intelligence. Minister for the Economy: My Department has established governance arrangements for the use of Artificial Intelligence. The Senior Information Risk Owner is responsible for approving the … Continue reading AQW 48664/22-27 – Department for the Economy designated lead on AI
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any support available to small businesses seeking to access new markets overseas. Minister for the Economy: Small businesses seeking to access new overseas markets can draw on a comprehensive range of support delivered on a cross-sectoral basis by Invest NI, local … Continue reading AQW 48001/22-27 – Accessing new markets overseas
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