Brexit: Movement of Goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain Debate

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Department: Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit: Movement of Goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain

Lord Lilley Excerpts
Thursday 24th October 2019

(5 years ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Callanan Portrait Lord Callanan
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It is right that some administrative processes will apply to goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. In the coming months, we will work with the EU and the Irish authorities to make sure that we can eliminate those processes in the detailed implementation of the new agreement.

Lord Lilley Portrait Lord Lilley (Con)
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My Lords, can the Minister confirm that the original withdrawal agreement included paper declarations A.UK for any exports from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, but that did not require the consent of the Northern Irish people? Can he further confirm that these documents are identical to those that Turkish imports into the European Union must fulfil, even though Turkey is part of a customs union, so the idea that a customs union obviates all border controls with the European Union is not true?

Lord Callanan Portrait Lord Callanan
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These are not customs controls; they are administrative checks that need to be made because of single market rules and single market membership. They are the result of international obligations that the EU implements through single market rules. However, my noble friend makes an important point.