Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench) on Wednesday, 4 September 2019, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 18 September 2019. It was answered by Lord Callanan (Conservative) on Monday, 7 October 2019 on behalf of the Department for Exiting the European Union.

Borders: Northern Ireland

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the Interim and Final Reports, published by Prosperity UK on 24 June and 18 July, on future arrangements for the border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, in particular for preserving the integrity of the Belfast Agreement and for avoiding the need for backstop procedures.

Answer: The Government welcomes the reports by the Alternative Arrangements Commission, it is an important contribution. We have considered it alongside input from technical experts and businesses to inform our approach to removing the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland (known as the backstop) and avoiding a hard border in Northern Ireland, in the context of negotiations on the future agreement between the UK and the EU. We remain firmly committed to the Belfast Agreement and we are steadfast in our commitment to do everything in our power to preserve an open border in Northern Ireland.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL17722
Session: 2017-19
Subjects: Belfast Agreement Customs Borders Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland UK trade with EU Brexit
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk