Speaking during an Assembly debate on the impact of over-regulation and bureaucracy on business, the UUP man raised the cost to legitimate business of the black economy.

“The black economy is something which is never brought to public attention but it is absolutely massive and it is damaging the legal, above board economy. It is illegal activity which pays no tax to the Treasury and all the money goes into the hands of criminals. Every penny that is denied the state in taxation means that the rest of us end up paying more taxes and that public services are starved of money they badly need,” he said.

“It is as important for us to tackle the black economy as it is to tackle the issue of past crimes and victims. In a sense, they are all part of one over-riding issue of mass illegality which has blighted this province for 40 years. I have little confidence that Sinn Fein, who did so much to dismantle our economy, are the right people to rebuild it, and their partners in the DUP have shown little competence in this regard either,” Mr Burnside added.