Urgent question: goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain after Brexit

According to the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill 2019-20, Northern Ireland firms will have to declare goods heading to the rest of the United Kingdom. This is expected to result in more costs, more border checks and more uncertainty for Northern Irish companies trading with England, Scotland and Wales than with Ireland.

The Secretary of State told MPs:

"On the 17 October the UK and the EU reached political agreement on a new Withdrawal Agreement and political declaration for the future relationship. This includes a revised protocol for Northern Ireland which has been extensively debated in this House. This agreement is clear that Great Britain and Northern Ireland are one customs territory."

"Goods that are not at risk of moving to the EU, will attract no tariffs. These arrangements mean that Northern Ireland would remain in the UK's Customs territory and could benefit from the UK's new trade deals with third countries. For goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, those destined for the EU will have to comply with EU rules. To ensure the correct tariffs are applied and that goods comply with the rules of the single-regulatory zone, some information will be needed on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland."

Responding on behalf of the Opposition, Tony Lloyd MP said:

“There is confusion at the very heart of this government. Yesterday, the Prime Minister told the House that there will be no checks between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and that there will be no tariffs between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. This is in direct contradiction to what the Secretary of State has just told the House."

"It's in contradiction to the steadily progressive views of different statements from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Justice Secretary last night on News Night who told the public there will be checks in both directions, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and from Northern Ireland to Great Britain."

"The manifest confusion at the heart of government actually is compounded by the confusion that business in Northern Ireland, particularly small business, that the Northern Ireland Civil Service have been planning for the long-term, and this is simply unacceptable.”

• Watch Parliament TV: Urgent Question on goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain under the Withdrawal Agreement

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