Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, published on 14 November, what steps they have taken to provide representation for both political communities in Northern Ireland on the proposed specialised committee on issues related to the implementation of the protocol on the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland under Article 165(c).

The Withdrawal Agreement establishes a number of forums in which the Protocol will be considered or overseen: a Joint Committee, a Specialised Committee on the Northern Ireland Protocol, and a Joint Consultative Working Group.

The Joint Committee, the Specialised Committee and the Joint Consultative Working Group will be comprised of representatives of the UK and the EU. Their detailed rules of procedure have not yet been finalised. While the formal representation of the UK in international forums is and will continue to be a matter for the UK Government, we fully recognise the importance of reflecting the interests of the whole of the Northern Ireland community on issues relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol.