Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Strengthening the Union: GB and NI

Wednesday 21 May 2025 · 1 question

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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Jim Allister asked the minister about steps taken to strengthen the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
  • The minister stated that the Government and he support both the Union and the Good Friday Agreement.
  • Regarding customs arrangements, the minister said that there are no mandatory checks, but checks apply based on risk and intelligence.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jim Allister TUV North Antrim
Northern Ireland
Context

The question addresses concerns about customs checks within the UK due to Northern Ireland's status under a foreign customs code following Brexit.

Question

What steps has he taken to strengthen the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland? In referring to the deal with the EU, what is ignored is that Northern Ireland continues to be under a foreign customs code, which means there are still customs checks on all goods, including agriculture goods, moving within the UK. Ideologically and personally, is he committed to the Union?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Hilary Benn)

The Government and I support the Union, and I also support the Good Friday agreement. When it comes to customs arrangements, there are no mandatory checks; they apply generally on the basis of risk and intelligence.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps taken to strengthen the Union were not detailed beyond the mention of discussions at the East-West Council.

How: Changing Subject, Overlooking Specific Customs Issues

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