Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he plans to take to support border areas in Northern Ireland after the end of the transition period.

The Protocol provides a practical solution to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland in a way that preserves the Belfast (“Good Friday”) Agreement and continues to protect the interests of people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The Government will continue to support East-West and North-South cooperation to protect communities and individuals, including in border areas.

We have already guaranteed that businesses will face no tariffs for movement of goods within the UK, will have unfettered access to the whole UK market for NI goods, and will benefit from the lower tariffs we deliver through our new Free Trade Agreements with third countries. In addition, the Government remains committed to a New Deal for Northern Ireland to help boost economic growth, competitiveness and to support infrastructure and connectivity North-South and East-West.

We have also committed to participation in the Peace Plus programme. The programme will support activities to promote peace and reconciliation and contribute to the cross-border economic and territorial development of the region.