Northern Ireland Protocol: Implementation Proposals Debate

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Department: Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Protocol: Implementation Proposals

Gavin Robinson Excerpts
Wednesday 18th November 2020

(3 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robin Walker Portrait Mr Walker
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I confirm to my hon. Friend that this is something on which we have taken a clear position in the UK-EU Joint Committee. It is for the UK to implement the protocol. As I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Beckenham (Bob Stewart), the details of that implementation should be for UK officials, employees of the UK Government and their partners in the devolved Administrations, not for the EU.

Gavin Robinson Portrait Gavin Robinson (Belfast East) (DUP)
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I am grateful to the shadow Secretary of State for seeking the urgent question. As it draws to a close, the questions remain many, yet the answers are few. I make no apology for raising again the VAT margins issue raised on three occasions thus far. With 43 days to go, it simply is not good enough for the Minister to say that he will now have a conversation with HMRC and the Treasury. Will he commit today that, if this issue is not resolved in the overarching agreements with the European Union, the Government will rectify it through a finance Bill?

Robin Walker Portrait Mr Walker
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A number of commitments have already been made on a finance Bill. I have undertaken to discuss this issue further with Treasury Ministers, and I will.