Northern Ireland Protocol: UK Legal Obligations Debate

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Department: Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Protocol: UK Legal Obligations

James Sunderland Excerpts
Tuesday 8th September 2020

(3 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Brandon Lewis Portrait Brandon Lewis
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Apart from the fact that countries around the world will look at our wider position, as I said earlier, on international law and the rule of law, for which we are a beacon around the world, if the hon. Gentleman looks back at his question, he will see that it reinforces the reason we are taking this position, which is to ensure that we deliver on the points that we included in our manifesto, where we specifically outlined the issues that are in the Command Paper published in May this year, which businesses are supportive of—businesses asked for that certainty—and said:

“We will ensure that Northern Ireland’s businesses and producers enjoy unfettered access to the rest of the UK and that in the implementation of our Brexit deal, we maintain and strengthen the integrity and smooth operation of our internal market.”

That is exactly what we will be doing in the UK internal market Bill when we publish it tomorrow.

James Sunderland Portrait James Sunderland (Bracknell) (Con)
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Does my right hon. Friend concur that this complex issue is ultimately about the good people of Northern Ireland and that any future protocols will be agreed with their best interests at heart?