Northern Ireland Protocol

Baroness Williams of Trafford Excerpts

Tuesday 28th February 2023 Lords Chamber

[Noble Lords]

Hain!

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, I am trying to be as fair as possible and get as many people as possible in. Can we hear from my noble friend Lord Cormack, followed by the noble Lord, Lord Hain?

--- Later in debate ---

[The Deputy Speaker (Baroness Fookes) (Con)]

My Lords, I think that concludes the time for questions, unless the House decides otherwise.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, can I just appeal to the House to hear the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey?

[Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl)]

Thank you, my Lords. This is a hugely optimistic Statement from the Prime Minister and understandably, because it makes things so much better than the protocol did. But sometimes optimism can be taken back when the detail is examined. I have a specific question for the Leader of the House. Yesterday in Parliament, and in an article today for the Belfast News Letter, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of the Acts of Union. That is welcome, but the agreement is lacking a legal text and the Command Paper is lacking further explanation on how the Government plan to lift the subjugation of the Acts of Union in domestic law. Could the Minister tell me what actual steps will be taken in domestic law to release the Acts of the Union from their present subjugation, as said by the Supreme Court? In the absence of legal provisions to remedy the effect of Section 7(1)(a) of the 2018 Act on the Acts of Union, all references in the world to our foundation and constitutional situation will mean nothing.