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Written question asked by Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party) on Tuesday, 14 May 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 17 May 2024 (named day). It was answered by Steve Baker (Conservative) on Friday, 17 May 2024 on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

Duty Free Allowances: Northern Ireland

Question

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will hold discussions with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) other Cabinet colleagues on duty-free shopping in Northern Ireland airports when travelling to and from destinations in the EU.

Answer

The Government is committed to maintaining unfettered access for NI to the whole UK market, as well as full access to the EU market, along with our commitment to avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland.

Enabling duty-free shopping between Northern Ireland and the EU (of which Ireland is a member) without also introducing border controls on the island of Ireland would lead to significant distortions of trade as well as a significant revenue loss for both UK and Ireland, as it would otherwise create a legal route for unlimited amounts of alcohol and tobacco to flow into the UK market duty-free.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
26080
Session
2023-24
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Airports EU countries Duty free allowances Northern Ireland
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk