Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Northern Ireland Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Selous Excerpts
Wednesday 9th November 2022

(2 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Andrew Selous Portrait Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con)
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9. What steps he is taking to help improve the Northern Ireland protocol.

Chris Heaton-Harris Portrait The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Chris Heaton-Harris)
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The Government are engaging in constructive dialogue with the European Union to find solutions to the issues caused by the protocol. We are also proceeding with legislation that aims to fix the practical problems that the protocol has created in Northern Ireland in the event of our being unable to reach our preferred negotiated solution.

Andrew Selous Portrait Andrew Selous
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The trader support service has helped thousands of businesses in Northern Ireland to navigate the way in which goods move under the protocol. How will this very important service be funded over the next year?

Chris Heaton-Harris Portrait Chris Heaton-Harris
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Both the trader support service and the movement assistance scheme provide support to traders moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. By the end of this year we will have spent £340 million helping traders to process 2.3 million customs declarations through the trader support service for trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but we very much hope that we can find a negotiated solution to the protocol issues that will mean we do not have to spend this money in the future.