Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland: Border Arrangements Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland: Border Arrangements

Hywel Williams Excerpts
Wednesday 28th February 2018

(6 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
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My hon. Friend makes an important point. That is precisely why not just the Prime Minister but the Taoiseach believe that by far the best option is to settle the issue of the border in the context of the overall economic partnership between ourselves and the European Union.

Hywel Williams Portrait Hywel Williams (Arfon) (PC)
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By leaving the European Union, we are taking control of our borders, such as that at Holyhead. The Government have also committed to there being no border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Can the Minister name any pair of countries where trade between them is regulated by two different customs regimes?

David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
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This is exactly the point that I made in response to my hon. Friend the Member for Tewkesbury (Mr Robertson): the right way forward is to resolve these matters in the context of the broader negotiation about the future economic partnership.