Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Northern Ireland Businesses: Access to UK Market

Wednesday 22 March 2023 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Windsor framework guarantees unfettered access for Northern Ireland's businesses to the UK market on a permanent basis.
  • Residents of Northern Ireland will be able to enjoy sausages and other products from businesses in constituencies like Rother Valley.
  • EU law continues to apply to manufactured goods in Northern Ireland due to the need for an infrastructure-free border with the Republic of Ireland.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alexander Stafford
Northern Ireland Brexit Business & Trade
Context

N/A - Initial question asking about steps taken by the Government.

Question

What steps the Government is taking to ensure that businesses in Northern Ireland have full access to the UK internal market.

Answer from Steven Baker

The Windsor framework restores the free flow of trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The agreement guarantees unfettered access for Northern Ireland's businesses to the UK market on a permanent basis, and we have secured alternative arrangements that remove any proposed requirement to provide export declarations or equivalent information for goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.

Answered
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Q2 Alexander Stafford
Northern Ireland Business & Trade
Context

The MP mentions specific butchers and asks about the availability of their products in other parts of the UK.

Question

Rother Valley has many amazing businesses, especially butchers such as G. Lomas in South Anston, Grays of Thurcroft, Stuart Saunders in Maltby and Lawns Farm in Morthen. I want everyone to try their products. What assurances can the Minister give me that everyone, no matter where they are in the United Kingdom, can taste Rother Valley sausage?

Answer from Steven Baker

I am delighted to confirm to my hon. Friend that residents of Northern Ireland will be able to enjoy the sausages produced by the great businesses in his constituency. The framework ends the ban on chilled meats, such as sausages and seasoned lamb joints, meaning that supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland will be able to stock the products that customers want and have bought for years.

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Q3 Jeffrey M. Donaldson DUP
Northern Ireland Brexit
Context

The MP questions the practicality of EU laws applying to Northern Ireland despite UK internal market rules.

Question

But the reality for my constituents, and businesses such as McCartney's delicatessen in Moira, is that although they can bring in sausages from Yorkshire or any other part of the UK that are made to British standards, the sausages they make in Northern Ireland, part of the UK, have to be made to EU standards, because EU law applies to all manufactured goods in Northern Ireland. So why is it right to bring sausages from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and sell them in Northern Ireland, but it is not right to sell British sausages made in Northern Ireland in Northern Ireland?

Answer from Steven Baker

I understand the force and passion with which the right hon. Gentleman makes this point, but he knows that what we have done is reduce the extent of EU law in Northern Ireland to the absolute minimum consistent with keeping open an infrastructure-free border with the Republic of Ireland.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Explanation for differential treatment of sausages made in NI vs imported from other parts of UK

How: Reducing Extent Of Eu Law To Minimum Consistent With Keeping Open Infrastructure-Free Border

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Q4 Jeffrey M. Donaldson DUP
Northern Ireland Brexit
Context

The MP raises concerns about the full restoration of Northern Ireland's place within the UK internal market under the Windsor framework.

Question

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The reality is that Northern Ireland's place within the UK internal market has not been fully restored by the Windsor framework, because EU law applies to all manufactured goods in Northern Ireland, despite the fact that of £77 billion-worth of goods manufactured in Northern Ireland £65 billion are sold in the UK. All of those goods must comply with EU law, regardless of where they are sold. Can we not get back to the proposals in the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which mean that UK law applies unless a business wants to trade with the EU, in which case it must follow EU law?

Answer from Steven Baker

On the proposal for dual regulation, that was not what constituent businesses in Northern Ireland wanted. At some point, even unrelenting figures such as myself do need to compromise and give the voters what they want. I recognise that compromise is extremely difficult. We are in a position where we have an opportunity to move forward together.

Not addressed: Proposal for dual regulation under Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

How: Constituent Businesses In Ni Preferred Current Arrangement

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