Allen & Overy (A&O) has become embroiled in a political debate in Northern Ireland following the news that it will receive a £2.5m grant from Invest Northern for launching its 300-staff offshoring centre in Belfast.

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has criticised the regional development agency for promising A&O the grant, after the firm said it intends to pass on as much as possible of the benefit to employees willing to transfer from London to Belfast, rather than taking redundancy.