Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment the Government has made of the potential effect on the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement in the event of a failure to reach agreement with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Conor Burns
There is shared recognition of the serious problems experienced under the Protocol and the need for solutions.
Our preference is to settle this consensually and reach a positive, negotiated outcome. We have no interest in a fractious and difficult relationship with the EU but the UK Government is clear that all options remain on the table, including the invocation of Article 16.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the annual budget is for food produced for her Department's offices; and what proportion of food produced for her Department was sourced from British producers in the last period for which figures are available.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
There is no specific budget allocated for food produced within the Departmen; figures which detail the origin of food produced are not held by my department.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of dairy products procured for her Department was sourced from Northern Irish producers in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
Figures which detail the origin of dairy products are not held by my Department.