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Borders: Northern Ireland

Answer

Our policy is clear – we are committed to ensuring that there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland and to ensuring the same unfettered access for Northern Ireland's businesses to the whole of the UK's internal market. We have said categorically that there will be no physical infrastructure or related checks and controls at the border.

In the course of meetings across a variety of sectors and industry groups, the Secretary of State discussed the UK’s proposed customs arrangements following our exit from the EU, the Northern Ireland and Ireland land border has also been discussed.

Since the referendum, HMRC officials and the Border Delivery Group have also met with over 300 businesses and representative bodies covering a wide range of sectors and interests as well as engaging with a wide range of suppliers in relation to UK border arrangements both for EU Exit and longer term future border arrangements.

My department has been coordinating work with HMRC, Border Force and the cross-government Border Delivery Group on this issue. They are working on finding technological facilitations in relation to the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and ensuring that the UK has a functioning customs regime when we leave the EU.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

148724

Session

2017-19

Subjects

Borders Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland Technology Brexit

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk