Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Windsor Framework Independent Monitory Panel Report on the first reporting period for the UK Internal Market Guarantee for 1 January - 30 June 2025, whether the more than 80% of all freight movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland referred to took place under the UK internal market system, in line with page 15 of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, as distinct from whether more than 80% of all freight movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland by value moved without paying any duty, and (b) what was the figure.

I can confirm that 96% of the value of goods moving by freight did so within the UK internal market system, as set out in my Written Ministerial Statement laid in the House on 5 November (HCWS1021) on the Independent Monitoring Panel report covering the period of 1 January-30 June 2025.

Whilst I would emphasise that it remains a matter for the Panel to determine what it reports on and recommends to the Government, I can also confirm that the facilitations relevant to the Internal Market Guarantee are in accordance with the Windsor Framework.

Page 6 and 7 of the Panel’s report sets out the methodological basis of its reporting. Goods movements subject to tariffs are not counted toward the Guarantee, even when they are later provided with reimbursement. They are therefore counted within the 4% statistic of goods that did not move within the UK internal market system.