Member

Why is it that we are continually on the back foot of trading policy, when we are the most severely impacted by it because of the Windsor Framework? It may be useful to remind the House that we are continually told by the Government that we are still an integral part of the United Kingdom internal market. The proposed UK ETS extension to maritime transport could be catastrophic for Northern Ireland. As has been said, approximately 90% of goods and passenger movements between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom rely on ferry routes. These routes are not simply commercial links; they are the essential arteries through which everyday economic and social life flows. Food, construction materials, fuel, manufactured products and retail goods all move across the Irish Sea as part of the ordinary supply chain. We do not have alternative land routes. Maritime transport is not a choice; it is a necessity. We cannot risk the possibility of the projected 6% freight rate increases in compliance with ETS costs—it is just not feasible.