Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact on the economy of a potential partial suspension of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement by the EU in the event that the Government triggers Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Government remains in intensive discussions with the EU with the aim of delivering significant changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol, as set out in the Command Paper published in July.

Our preference is to find a consensual solution that deals with the problems which exist. However, it is the responsibility of the UK Government to safeguard peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland, and if solutions cannot be found this could include using Article 16. The safeguards in Article 16 are designed to ease acute problems, not to cause or compound them.