Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Businesses with Supply Chains in Great Britain

Wednesday 19 November 2025 · 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Minister met with businesses and representative bodies to discuss supply chains and improve guidance on the Windsor framework.
  • The Secretary of State continues to consider Lord Murphy's report and plans to set out a formal response early next year.
  • The Secretary of State highlighted that 15,000 businesses are registered under the UK internal market scheme, with 97% of lorries moving from GB to NI not facing in-person checks.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gregory Campbell DUP East Londonderry
Northern Ireland Business & Trade
Context

The hon. Member is concerned about the impact of supply chain disruptions on Northern Irish businesses trading within the region and highlights potential threats from Chinese-built buses compared to UK-made zero emission buses produced by Wrightbus.

Question

What progress has he made in supporting businesses in Northern Ireland that have supply chains in Great Britain? Will he step up his efforts to ensure there is no disadvantage for companies trading within Northern Ireland? Given the excellent UK-made zero emission buses built at Wrightbus, will he liaise with the Department for Transport and mayors in Great Britain to promote these purchases over those made in China?

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

I have met businesses and representative bodies, including the Federation of Small Businesses and the Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group, to discuss supply chains and improve guidance on the Windsor framework. I agree with the hon. Gentleman about the quality of UK-made zero emission buses produced by Wrightbus and will continue to support the promotion of these vehicles over those made in China.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not provide specific actions or timelines for promoting UK-made zero emission buses over Chinese alternatives.

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Q2 Tonia Antoniazzi Lab Gower
Northern Ireland Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The hon. Member refers to evidence from Lord Murphy on his review of the Windsor framework, which has made recommendations to support GB businesses moving goods to Northern Ireland.

Question

What progress is being made in considering Lord Murphy’s review? The committee has taken evidence from Lord Murphy and noted important recommendations that could support GB businesses moving goods to Northern Ireland. Will the Secretary of State update the House on his considerations?

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

I continue to give careful consideration to Lord Murphy’s report, alongside independent monitoring panel reports and recommendations from the Federation of Small Businesses. We will set out our formal response early next year, addressing steps the Government could take to provide better guidance for businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not commit to specific actions or timelines in responding to Lord Murphy’s recommendations.

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Q3 Mike Wood Con Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
Northern Ireland Brexit
Context

The hon. Member refers to three recent reports indicating significant trade diversion affecting GB-NI trade, citing Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol which allows for unilateral action where there is a risk of diversion.

Question

What are the Secretary of State's intentions regarding the use of powers under Article 16? Three reports have noticed trade diversion impacting trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Will he clarify how much trade diversion he will tolerate before acting?

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

Currently, there are 15,000 businesses registered under the UK internal market scheme and 97% of lorries moving from GB to NI do not face in-person checks. The goods continue to flow smoothly despite some issues. It is ultimately up to businesses where they sell and purchase from, but overall the Northern Ireland economy remains strong.

Not addressed: The Secretary did not address the specific question about Article 16 powers; instead, he provided general information on trade flows.

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