Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress has been made on defining the nature of the border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chloe Smith
As made clear in our Position Paper on Northern Ireland and Ireland, published in August, and in the Prime Minister’s Florence speech in September, we remain firmly committed to avoiding a hard border, including no physical infrastructure between Northern Ireland and Ireland. This is a point on which we have remained clear throughout.
In doing so, there can be no border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland or anything that fractures the internal market of the United Kingdom, which benefits Northern Ireland hugely.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress he and the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are making to attract more visitors to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Tourism is a devolved policy area, meaning that the Northern Ireland Executive has responsibility for the promotion and delivery of the tourism offer within Northern Ireland. Tourism Ireland is responsible for marketing the island of Ireland overseas.
VisitBritain and Tourism Northern Ireland recently signed a partnership agreement where they will work together on specific projects to market Northern Ireland to visitors.
Over the last decade, Northern Ireland has become a 'must-see' tourist destination, and we will continue to encourage visitors to come to experience the many wonderful sights and attractions it has to offer.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the Northern Ireland economy of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
The Secretary of State and I are fully committed to ensuring that as we establish our negotiating position, the unique interests of Northern Ireland are protected and advanced. We are going to make the most of the opportunities that our departure presents to Northern Ireland – getting out into the world and doing business right across the globe, while at home building a UK that works for everyone.
We will make a success of our exit from the EU for the whole of the UK including Northern Ireland, which remains a great place for businesses to invest. The fundamentals of the UK economy are strong and will continue to be strong as we negotiate our departure from the EU.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent meetings he has had with businesses in Northern Ireland to discuss the UK's exit from the EU.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Through my Business Advisory Group that I established in September, I and my Ministerial colleagues have had regular meetings with businesses in Northern Ireland. The Group brings together representatives from a broad range of sectors, to discuss a range of economic issues, including the impact and opportunities of the UK’s exit from the European Union. I will continue to meet businesses to ensure that their views are reflected in the process of exiting the European Union, so that we build a strong and prosperous economy in Northern Ireland that works for everyone.