Borders: Ireland (Island)

(asked on 15th January 2020) - View Source

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the introduction of border checks on the island of Ireland.


Answered by
Julian Smith Portrait
Julian Smith
This question was answered on 24th January 2020

It is excellent news that the Northern Ireland Executive has been restored and that Stormont is once again up and running. I look forward to working with the Executive in the next phase of negotiations, including work with the UK-EU Joint Committee.

The Withdrawal Agreement achieves the common aim of avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland: there will be no border checks on the land border. Movement between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is within the UK. This Government has been clear on its commitment to ensuring that Northern Ireland remains an integral part of the UK internal market. As set out in the agreed New Decade, New Approach deal, the Government will legislate to guarantee unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s businesses to the whole of the UK internal market, and ensure that this legislation is in force for 01 January 2021.

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