Northern Ireland Protocol: Implementation Proposals

Rosie Cooper Excerpts

Wednesday 18th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab) [V]]

Will the Minister confirm that the vital trader support service, desperately needed to remove the burden on businesses from custom checks, will launch only on 21 December? Does he accept that leaving seven working days is an insult to businesses whose livelihoods depend on this system working seamlessly?

[Mr Walker]

The service is already signing businesses up, and as I said earlier, more than 7,000 businesses across Great Britain and Northern Ireland have signed up so far. We are seeing hundreds more registrations every day, so I do not recognise the point that the hon. Lady makes, but it is vital that the service is in place for the end of the transition period and the beginning of the new arrangements, and it is vital that it reaches as many businesses as it possibly can.

Oral Answers to Questions

Rosie Cooper Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Walker]

I agree with my hon. Friend on both points. This centenary represents a significant national anniversary. In the new decade, new approach deal, the Government recognised that the centenary provided an opportunity to reflect on the past as well as to build for the future in Northern Ireland across the UK and internationally. We are committed to facilitating national recognition and international awareness of the centenary. On his recent visit to Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a centenary forum and a centenary historical advisory panel. This approach will offer us the opportunity to work with a broad spectrum of people to deliver an ambitious and exciting programme of events to mark this important national anniversary. Further details about the centenary programme will be set out in the autumn.

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab)]

What assessment he has made of the infrastructure that will be required at ports in Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland protocol.

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Brandon Lewis)]

There will be no new customs infrastructure in Northern Ireland, and we see no need to build any.

[Rosie Cooper [V]]

With just four months left until the protocol comes into force, the National Farmers Union has warned that a clear lack of guidance is threatening the trade in agrifood products—Northern Ireland’s largest import. So can the Secretary of State clear one thing up—will each agrifood product require an export licence certificate, costing up to £200, or not?

[Brandon Lewis]

As I have set out previously, the protocol obliges both the UK and the EU to seek to streamline trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and to avoid controls at Northern Ireland ports as far as possible. As the hon. Member may well know, discussions are ongoing about the process by which this is conducted and the frequency. We want to bring the level of checks down to a proportionate and pragmatic level, as we have outlined before, for agrifoods and live animals. At Larne and Belfast there have been checks of one form or another in place since, I think, about the 19th century, and that is what we are building on. But there will be no new infrastructure.

Oral Answers to Questions

Rosie Cooper Excerpts

Wednesday 24th June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)]

What steps the Government are taking to support the recovery of the Northern Ireland economy from the effects of the covid-19 outbreak.

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab)]

What steps the Government are taking to support the recovery of the Northern Ireland economy from the effects of the covid-19 outbreak.

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

What steps the Government are taking to support the recovery of the Northern Ireland economy from the effects of the covid-19 outbreak.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

We are heading to lovely Lancashire, with Rosie Cooper.

[Rosie Cooper [V]]

Given the Secretary of State’s previous answer that business will have unfettered access within the UK, could the Minister explain why HMRC is telling businesses to prepare for new formalities in west-east trade, and could he describe them?

[Mr Walker]

The simple answer is that it is not. We want to make sure that we meet our commitments in a way that imposes a minimal burden on business and provides unfettered access. We are absolutely clear that we will provide that unfettered access and legislate for it through this House.