Rules on Duty-Free Goods

Lord Weir of Ballyholme Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am very grateful to my noble friend for her question and I agree with every word she said. The Windsor Framework is the best workable solution to Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances. As she said, it places Northern Ireland in a uniquely beneficial position within the United Kingdom—which I hope we can make a lot of—by being part of the UK internal market and the EU single market for goods. That provides significant opportunities for growth and ensures that there is no hard border on the island of Ireland.

[Lord Weir of Ballyholme (DUP)]

My Lords, the Minister highlighted the principal rationale for there not being duty-free at Northern Ireland airports when flying to the EU as the need to maintain frictionless trade with the Irish Republic, presumably on flights to the Irish Republic. Is the Minister aware that not a single flight goes from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland? Does he agree that we are left in the absurd position of creating an additional problem to solve a problem that, in practice, does not actually exist?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord for his question. I will clarify this for him. The original Question asked about flights from Belfast to the European Union, so that is what this Question is about. I will be very clear. If we have duty-free, we have to have allowances. If we have allowances, we have to have checks and enforcement. If we have checks, we have to have border infrastructure, and border infra- structure is contrary to the Windsor Framework and the Good Friday agreement.