Duty Relief Exemption: Small Parcels

Lord Fox Excerpts

Thursday 26th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Fox (LD)]

My Lords, the Minister has already agreed with our view that this situation is really caused by the appalling nature of the deal that the Conservative Party negotiated on Brexit. Does he also agree that it demonstrates that the rapid agreement of a customs union and other alignments with the EU would not only have huge financial benefits to the United Kingdom but smooth out issues like this that were caused by those in Northern Ireland who advocated for Brexit in the first place?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

The noble Lord knows that I absolutely agree with his analysis of the problem, and I greatly admire the consistency with which he has pursued his policy for a customs union. The points he makes are obviously factually correct. This Government are pursuing an EU reset. The UK and the EU have agreed to negotiate an SPS agreement, which aims to significantly reduce barriers to trade in agri-food goods, support simplified movements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the EU, and boost our exports. Negotiations that we are taking forward on electricity and emissions trading will have a similar effect on businesses trading with Northern Ireland and the EU.