Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Northern Ireland Protocol

Wednesday 9 November 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The trader support service and movement assistance scheme have helped thousands of businesses navigate goods movement under the Northern Ireland protocol.
  • The government will have spent 340 million by the end of the year to help traders process 2.3 million customs declarations through the trader support service.
  • The Minister believes there is a negotiated path to change how the protocol is dealt with, addressing governance and trade issues causing legitimate concerns.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Selous Con
Northern Ireland
Context

The Northern Ireland protocol has created issues in trade and governance, prompting the need for dialogue to find solutions.

Question

What steps he is taking to help improve the Northern Ireland protocol. The trader support service has helped thousands of businesses in Northern Ireland navigate goods movement under the protocol. How will this important service be funded over the next year?

Answer from Chris Heaton-Harris

Both the trader support service and the movement assistance scheme provide support to traders moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. By the end of this year we will have spent £340 million helping traders to process 2.3 million customs declarations through the trader support service for trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but we very much hope that we can find a negotiated solution to the protocol issues that will mean we do not have to spend this money in the future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The funding commitment for the coming year was not directly addressed; instead, there is hope for a negotiated solution.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Andrew Selous Con
Northern Ireland
Context

The Northern Ireland protocol has created issues in trade and governance, prompting the need for dialogue to find solutions.

Question

How will this important service be funded over the next year?

Answer from Chris Heaton-Harris

Both the trader support service and the movement assistance scheme provide support to traders moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. By the end of this year we will have spent £340 million helping traders to process 2.3 million customs declarations through the trader support service for trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but we very much hope that we can find a negotiated solution to the protocol issues that will mean we do not have to spend this money in the future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific funding commitment for the coming year was avoided; instead, there is an indication of hoping for a negotiated solution.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Sammy Wilson DUP East Antrim
Northern Ireland
Context

The Northern Ireland protocol has caused political and legal issues, including the imposition of EU law in part of the UK.

Question

Does the Minister accept that we cannot improve on that and we have to remove it?

Answer from Chris Heaton-Harris

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his question. Actually, I think there is a negotiated path where we can completely change how we deal with the protocol, which would mean that it dealt with the issues of governance and trade and all the other practical issues that are causing legitimate concerns to the communities he represents.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not explicitly accept or reject removing the protocol; instead, suggested a negotiated path for change.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email