Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when formal political negotiations with the European Union on the Northern Ireland Protocol will be reopened.

The Foreign Secretary met Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič on Monday 9 January. While they agreed a range of critical issues need to be resolved to find a way forward, an agreement was reached regarding the specific question of the EU's access to UK IT systems. EU and UK technical teams are working rapidly to scope the potential for solutions in different areas and the Foreign Secretary, Northern Ireland Secretary and Vice President Šefčovič will take stock of progress on 16 January.