Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he last met with business representative groups from Northern Ireland to discuss the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The UK Government will meet its obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol, in line with the approach set out in the Command Paper published on 20 May, the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol. As that sets out, our focus is on ensuring that the limited additional processes required by the Protocol are implemented in a way that takes account of all available flexibilities, respects Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s customs territory and internal market, and upholds the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.
We committed in the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol to provide guidance to business, including our plans for extensive support for Northern Ireland businesses engaging in any new processes under the Protocol. We will publish that guidance during the course of this summer. We will also continue to engage with business through the Business Engagement Forum, which met for the first time on 10 June and which will play an important part in our thinking as we implement the Protocol.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the IT system required to reimburse tariffs paid for goods entering the EU single market under the Northern Ireland Protocol will be operational.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The UK Government will meet its obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol, in line with the approach set out in the Command Paper published on 20 May, the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol. As that sets out, our focus is on ensuring that the limited additional processes required by the Protocol are implemented in a way that takes account of all available flexibilities, respects Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s customs territory and internal market, and upholds the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.
We committed in the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol to provide guidance to business, including our plans for extensive support for Northern Ireland businesses engaging in any new processes under the Protocol. We will publish that guidance during the course of this summer. We will also continue to engage with business through the Business Engagement Forum, which met for the first time on 10 June and which will play an important part in our thinking as we implement the Protocol.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the date is of the next scheduled meeting of the Specialised Committee on the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster updated the House on the second meeting of the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee in a Written Statement of 15 June (HCWS291).
Further to that update, the specialised committee will meet in the coming weeks. As with the Specialised Committee, the Working Group will be co-chaired by the UK and EU and made up of officials from both sides.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the first meeting of the Joint Consultative Working Group on the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol will take place; and who will be invited to attend that meeting.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster updated the House on the second meeting of the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee in a Written Statement of 15 June (HCWS291).
Further to that update, the specialised committee will meet in the coming weeks. As with the Specialised Committee, the Working Group will be co-chaired by the UK and EU and made up of officials from both sides.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he plans to take to support border areas in Northern Ireland after the end of the transition period.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Protocol provides a practical solution to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland in a way that preserves the Belfast (“Good Friday”) Agreement and continues to protect the interests of people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The Government will continue to support East-West and North-South cooperation to protect communities and individuals, including in border areas.
We have already guaranteed that businesses will face no tariffs for movement of goods within the UK, will have unfettered access to the whole UK market for NI goods, and will benefit from the lower tariffs we deliver through our new Free Trade Agreements with third countries. In addition, the Government remains committed to a New Deal for Northern Ireland to help boost economic growth, competitiveness and to support infrastructure and connectivity North-South and East-West.
We have also committed to participation in the Peace Plus programme. The programme will support activities to promote peace and reconciliation and contribute to the cross-border economic and territorial development of the region.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, by what date the UK Government plans to have additional (a) staff and (b) infrastructure in place to comply with the Northern Ireland protocol in relation to checks on products moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The UK Government will meet its obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol, in line with the approach set out in the Command Paper published on 20 May, the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol. We will ensure that the Protocol is implemented in a way that upholds the gains of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and which protects the interests of the people and economy of Northern Ireland. We committed in the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol to provide guidance to business, including our plans for extensive support for NI businesses engaging in new processes. We will publish that guidance during the course of this summer.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their proposals for the Northern Ireland Protocol on Welsh ports.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Our proposals on the Northern Ireland Protocol will strengthen Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom and its internal market. In taking our proposals forward we will continue to engage with businesses and ports, to ensure that right across the UK we can take advantage of the opportunities there will be as the UK grows its trade with countries around the world.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which court would determine the outcome of a dispute between Customs Officers and a person moving goods via a Border Control Post in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Any such disputes would be a matter for UK authorities and UK courts.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who will sit on the Joint Consultative Working Group.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Joint Consultative Working Group, like the Specialised Committee, will be co-chaired by the UK and EU and will be made up of officials from both sides.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether representatives from the business engagement forum will be entitled to attend the Specialised Committee on the Northern Ireland Protocol discussions.
Answered by Robin Walker
In line with the Rules of Procedure at Annex VIII of the Withdrawal Agreement, where appropriate and by decision of the co-chairs, experts or other persons who are not members of delegations may be invited to attend meetings of the Specialised Committee in order to provide information on a particular subject.