Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on replacing the green lane with a UK internal market system.

The Government is continuing, as set out in the Command Paper, to take steps to give effect to the internal market system. More than 9,000 businesses are registered for the existing UK Internal Market Scheme, which enables them to move goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland without incurring duty. From 2025, the Scheme will enable businesses to move goods into Northern Ireland using a significantly reduced data set which draws on ordinary commercial information, assisted by the new Trader Goods Profile tool which provides relevant data based on descriptions of goods.

While we will provide in due course further information on the detailed timeline for the new arrangements coming into effect, businesses should be fully prepared for them by 31 March 2025.