Hi °C | Lo °C The Treasury said there has been a "good response" to its paper on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy as consultation on the document closed today.
Exchequer Secretary David Gauke was in Belfast to chair a closed discussion on the paper - which focused mainly on the issue of cutting corporation tax.
The First and deputy First Ministers were joined at the meeting by Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster, Finance Minister Sammy Wilson and Secretary of State Owen Paterson, who has been vocal in his support of devolving corporation tax powers to Stormont.
Today's deadline represents the second extension to the consultation period, with the cut-off date initially set for June 24, then pushed back to July 1 and finally to today.
However Mr Gauke said there had been "a good number" of responses and people in Northern Ireland had engaged strongly with the process. But he said there were "concerns about the impact on the block grant" and that no decision had been made.
He said: "There have been people arguing in favour of devolving corporation tax and equally, there have been arguments for the other case.
"What is clear is that there is a strong desire across Northern Ireland to do what we can to strengthen the private sector and great enthusiasm for what we can do to deliver that."
Owen Paterson said there was "strong support across the board" for the tax move, and drew attention to Grow NI, a business group which has been lobbying strongly for business tax powers to be transferred to Stormont.
Mr Paterson said realisation was growing that being able to lower corporation tax could produce a positive ripple effect in the economy, describing it as "a rising tide that lifts all boats". He added: "This really could be a game-changer."
Peter Robinson reiterated support for devolving the tax powers to Stormont but, referring to the block grant implications, warned it must be done in "the right way, so Northern Ireland is not penalised".
Martin McGuinness highlighted the benefits that lowering business tax could have on foreign direct investment as well as indigenous business - but that it must come at "the right price".
While there has been strong support among political parties at Stormont, some Northern Ireland politicians are opposed to handing the tax powers to the Executive.
John Taylor, the UUP peer now known as Lord Kilclooney, is a high-profile business leader who has spoken out against the move.
The media company owner believes funding the change would mean less money for public services and said that the only beneficiaries will be business people.
