Northern Ireland Protocol Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Northern Ireland Protocol

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick Excerpts
Wednesday 21st July 2021

(3 years, 4 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Frost Portrait Lord Frost (Con)
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I thank my noble friend for his comments. He is obviously correct in saying the place of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, in the single market, in the customs territory, is protected on the face of the protocol and is absolutely fundamental. It is the doubts that have been allowed to develop on that subject that are part of the reason we face the situation we face today.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick Portrait Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Non-Afl) [V]
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My Lords, in light of the absence of trust caused by the original internal market Bill last September and the unilateral extensions of grace periods in March, how confident is the Minister that the EU will have the appetite to consider such a fundamental departure from the protocol in terms of Article 5? After all, the UK Government negotiated, agreed and ratified the protocol.