Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of UK withdrawal from the EU Customs Union on the policy that there should be no border checks between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

James Brokenshire

The Government will consider the advantages and disadvantages of remaining in a Customs Union carefully. There are a number of options, and we have made clear that we will pursue one that works for the unique circumstances of the UK.

The open border for people and businesses has served us well and no-one wants to see a return to the borders of the past. It is a high priority for the Government that we do not see border controls coming into place. There is a very strong commitment from the Irish government as well as ourselves to see that that does not happen. We must now work closely together to ensure that as the UK leaves the EU we find shared solutions to the challenges and maximise the opportunities for both the UK and the Republic of Ireland.