To ask the Minister for the Economy whether he will commission research to develop an evaluation of the economic value of the night-time economy (i) in Belfast; and (ii) across Northern Ireland.

I recognise the important contribution of the night-time economy to ensuring our towns and cities are places where people want to live, work, invest and visit. There is insufficient empirical evidence on our night-time economy at present and my Department is in the early phases of commissioning research to understand its value and potential. I anticipate that I will be able to provide a positive update on this research in the coming months.