Enterprise, Trade and Investment 16 June 2014

Finance Minister Simon Hamilton stood in for Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster as she was attending the Open Championship announcement.

Pat Sheehan MLA asked about the abolition of Air Passenger Duty on long-haul flights.

He noted that there had been no new destinations and the Belfast to Newark service was being suspended for part of the year.

He asked if the policy had "not been as successful as was first intended".

Mr Hamilton said the removal of the tax had been successful in its primary purpose, which was to save the Newark service.

He said the news that the service was to be suspended from January to March was "disappointing".

"I hope that it makes the route more profitable and therefore more sustainable," the minister said.

Creative Industries, The Open Championship, Business Red Tape and Business Tenancies were topics for the Minister to answer during the 15 minutes of Topical Questions.