Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their policy of "seamless trade across the UK's Internal Market" as stated in the Policy Paper by the Business Secretary UK internal market, published in July 2020 (CP 278), as it relates to Northern Ireland.

The Government has consistently stated its commitment to the preservation of seamless trade across the whole of the United Kingdom’s internal market, including between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, within CP226 published in May 2020 and the White Paper published in July 2020.

The UK Internal Market Act 2020 implements these commitments compatibly with the Northern Ireland Protocol and in doing so protects Northern Ireland's place in the UK Internal Market.

In light of challenges in the first part of this year, temporary operational steps have been taken to minimise disruption, support the effective flow of goods and provide a period for businesses to plan, particularly in the current circumstances of a global pandemic. We continue to work very closely with businesses to look at any issues that do need to be addressed, and to offer any support that is required.