Lord Morrow (DUP)

My Lords, the people of Northern Ireland had the legislation we are debating today simply imposed upon them. They were not consulted in any way. Northern Ireland parliamentarians first became aware that we were subject to these laws only when regulations were published proposing to extend them to GB. This is wholly undemocratic, profoundly humiliating and completely unsustainable. More importantly, these regulations rest on the misleading premise that if GB submits to these laws, goods imported into GB can then move freely throughout the United Kingdom internal market for goods, including Northern Ireland, via the UK internal market system. The term “internal market” has an established meaning: the free movement of goods without encountering a customs or international SPS border. The clear implication of the term “UK internal market system” is therefore that goods imported into GB should move freely to Northern Ireland, as elsewhere in the United Kingdom, without encountering such borders. But goods moving from GB to Northern Ireland encounter a customs and international SPS border requiring customs paperwork, under EU regulation 2023/1128, and international SPS paperwork, under EU regulation 2023/1231. This is not a UK internal market system; it is a GB/EU/NI international trade border system. To describe it otherwise is to deliberately mislead the people of the United Kingdom. Some may point out that the customs and international SPS forms required under these regulations are shorter than would otherwise be the case. That is true, but an internal market is not created by a border requiring shorter customs or SBS forms; it is created by there being no border and no requirement for any such forms. Moreover, these shorter forms come at the cost of additional border frictions, including for businesses. It is time for the Government to face up to reality. It is all very well multiplying words and fine statements, but that does not correct things, and I trust that this Government will find the courage to do what has to be done.