Oral Answers to Questions

Patrick Grady Excerpts

Wednesday 30th October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Marion Fellows (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)]

6. What economic assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Government’s proposed withdrawal agreement on Northern Ireland.

[Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP)]

12. What economic assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Government’s proposed withdrawal agreement on Northern Ireland.

[The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr Nick Hurd)]

In my last questions, may I thank the shadow Secretary of State for his over-generous remarks and associate myself with his kind words about my north-west London neighbour, the hon. Member for Ealing North (Stephen Pound)? I should also like to thank you, Mr Speaker, for your support over many years in the Chair.

Under the proposed agreement, all businesses will continue to trade across the north-south border without tariffs or new regulatory checks. Businesses in Northern Ireland will continue to benefit from tariff-free access to the UK’s single market while having the opportunity to benefit from any future trade deals negotiated by the UK after we leave the EU.

[Mr Hurd]

I draw the hon. Lady’s attention to the impact assessment. I do not recognise her comments about competitive advantage or disadvantage. I hope that she will recognise that the circumstances in relation to Northern Ireland are special because of the land border, and that the proposed agreement responds to those special characteristics.

[Patrick Grady]

The Foreign Secretary has described the deal as “cracking” for Northern Ireland. It stands to reason, then, that the deal must be less cracking for the rest of the UK. Why is Northern Ireland getting special treatment when it voted to remain, while Scotland, which also voted to remain, is having to take the bad hard Brexit that the Tories are so determined to push through?

[Mr Hurd]

I understand, I think, the point the hon. Gentleman makes, but I return to what I was saying. He knows that the circumstances in Northern Ireland are special in relation to our exit from the EU because of the existence of the land border and because of the importance that we all attach to the Belfast/Good Friday agreement. One of the great achievements of this new proposed withdrawal agreement is the removal of the need for a hard border.