UK-EU Future Relationship: Businesses

Answer from Brandon Lewis

We want a relationship with the European Union that is based on friendly co-operation between sovereign equals and centred on free trade. The whole of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, stands to benefit from such a trading relationship with the European Union. In fact, Northern Ireland businesses have huge potential under the Northern Ireland protocol, and they will continue to enjoy tariff-free access to the EU market alongside unfettered access to the entire UK.

Answer from Brandon Lewis

Through the Joint Committee, we are working with the European Union on some of these final issues to ensure that we do have that free flow. We delivered £315 million last week to farmers across Northern Ireland and Scotland as evidence of our commitment.

Answer from Brandon Lewis

We are committed to ensuring that Northern Ireland businesses have unfettered access to the rest of the United Kingdom. We legislated for the first phase with clauses in the UK Internal Market Bill. We push hard on securing agreement with the EU and accept tariffs should be paid on goods moving from GB into the EU but not within the UK.

Answer from Brandon Lewis

We are working with the EU and both sides have committed to resolving all issues, including securing flexibilities needed. The discussions continue closely around practical implications and operational delivery; I encourage businesses to sign up free with Trader Support Service.

Answer from Brandon Lewis

If only the hon. Lady was talking to Northern Ireland businesses directly, as my team and I do regularly, most weeks. The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr Walker), also engages with businesses in Northern Ireland, as we have been doing consistently throughout this process—including Stephen Kelly, who I do know. It is the information from businesses that fed into the Command Paper that we issued earlier in the year, as well as the guidance that we issued and the work that we are doing to ensure not just that we have unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to mainland Great Britain—I hope that she and other colleagues will support us in ensuring that it is in the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill to deliver unfettered access, which she claims in her question to support—but also that we get a good free flow of access to ensure that the whole UK internal market can work together, including Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Answer from Brandon Lewis

Actually, what those clauses have been about is ensuring that we have unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to Great Britain. That is something inherent in the protocol. It plays a part in delivering on one of the key sentences in the first few paragraphs in the Northern Ireland protocol that says we will ensure that we do not disrupt the everyday lives of people in their communities. I would have hoped that the hon. Gentleman would support us in ensuring the Northern Ireland businesses can trade in mainland Great Britain as part of the United Kingdom. That is what those clauses are about, as an insurance policy, but obviously our main focus and aim is to secure the right agreement for a wider free trade agreement with the EU, and indeed to work with the specialist Joint Committee.