Regional Economic Policy in Northern Ireland, 1945-1988

Regional policy in Britain is currently at a crossroads. The government now believes that help for the regions needs to be more effective, both in terms of its cost and in terms of promoting competition and efficiency. Therefore, this book considers the nature of the regional problem, the reasons for introducing various instruments of policy. It concentrates in particular on what has happened to efficiency in Northern Ireland as a result of policy. The scene is thus set to consider the likely success of the current proposals put forward by government. A major conclusion reached is that automatic capital grants, a mainstay of past policy, should be retained, although with modifications. The book also provides an analysis of the Northern Ireland economy during the post-war period.