Irish Border: Customs Arrangements

Jim Shannon Excerpts
Tuesday 1st October 2019

(5 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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James Duddridge Portrait James Duddridge
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To clarify, the Government have no plans to put in those checks. We clearly cannot compel the Irish Government to do or not do anything.

Jim Shannon Portrait Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
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There has been much talk of a 10-mile buffer zone on the border. Can the Minister outline the stage that discussions are at as they pertain to where the Republic of Ireland intends to carry out its checks and in what form? The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has said clearly that it will not put up any border controls at all, so how ironic is it that, in the event of a no deal, it will be the Republic of Ireland and the Taoiseach that will have to erect and man hard border controls?

James Duddridge Portrait James Duddridge
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I thank the hon. Gentleman for his continued support and thoughts on this issue. He and other colleagues feeding into the process have added great value, and I hope that we will continue those discussions as we move through the process, as the Commission are given proposals and the House debates these issues more fully.