Lords Committee launches inquiry into the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

The Committee will scrutinise the Bill’s provisions, examine the economic, political and legal impact of the legislation, and assess the EU’s response, to inform consideration of the Bill by the House of Lords. This inquiry leads on from the Committee’s follow-up report on the economic and political impact of the Protocol published in July 2022.

The first evidence session will take place on Wednesday 7 September in Committee Room 3, Palace of Westminster, and will be available to watch on ParliamentliveTV.

The Committee will hear from economic and legal witnesses:

3.30pm - 4.40pm

• Michael Hanley, CEO, Lakeland Dairies
• Roger Pollen, Head of Federation of Small Businesses Northern Ireland
• Peter Summerton, Managing Director, McCulla Ireland
  
  

4.50pm to 6pm

• Professor Alan Boyle, Emeritus Professor of Public International Law, University of Edinburgh
• Professor Mark Elliott, Professor of Public Law, University of Cambridge
  
  

Possible question topics include

• The impact of the Protocol upon businesses and the sectors the witnesses represent
• Assessment of whether the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill will address the practical issues facing businesses
• The economic impact of continuing political uncertainty around the Protocol
• Assessment of the Government’s legal justification for the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
• The implications of any decision by the Government to invoke Article 16
• Assessment of the EU’s approach to the Protocol, and in particular its response to the Bill