Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the publication of the document ‘The Windsor Framework: The Green Lane’ on 9 June, whether the date at which traders experience a benefit from the green lane in terms of simplified customs, and sanitary or phytosanitary forms, is being put back by 12 months to 1 October 2024.

The Windsor Framework is the best deal for Northern Ireland, restoring the smooth flow of goods, protecting Northern Ireland's place in the Union and delivering a robust framework for solving future issues.

The implementation of the Framework is proceeding to the timeline set out when the agreement was announced.

Some arrangements are already in force, including the Duty Reimbursement Scheme for EU duty paid on "at risk" goods which have been sold or used outside of the EU.

From 30 September 2023, a new UK Internal Market Scheme will expand the range of businesses able to benefit from the new arrangements provided to protect internal UK movements, including the removal of EU tariffs. In tandem, from October the new sanitary and phytosanitary "green lane" arrangements will take effect: including a new Retail Movement Scheme for agrifood retail products; new rules to allow plants to move smoothly in to Northern Ireland; and new arrangements to enable seed potatoes to move once again from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

From September 2024, the full "green lane" will take effect for the movement of all goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, expanding the benefits of the UK Internal Market Scheme to end unnecessary bureaucracy. This will ensure that goods will no longer move on the basis of international customs requirements, with a new system based on commercial information.