Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks made by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 6 January that Northern Ireland has “a competitive advantage” because it is in the EU Single Market for goods, whether they have made any assessment of the possible competitive disadvantages to (1) England, (2) Wales, and (3) Scotland, of not being within the EU Single Market; and if so, what was the result of any such assessment.

On 24 December 2020, the Government secured an agreement with the EU that takes back control of our laws, borders, money, and fisheries.

This is the first free trade agreement the EU has ever reached based on zero tariffs and zero quota. Businesses will be able to continue to trade on that basis, selling to their customers in the EU, and people will be able to continue to buy goods from Europe tariff-free, protecting consumer prices.

This is good news for families and businesses in every part of the UK, as it means the whole of the UK can make the most of the freedoms that have come with the end of the transition period.

In addition, the UK is now free to strike its own trade deals worldwide to the general benefit of all.