Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on ensuring there will be no checks when goods move within the UK internal market system save those conducted by UK authorities.
Answer
As set out in the Command Paper, as we transition to the UK internal market system we are focused on ensuring the smooth flow of trade through a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to tackling criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease risks. Those checks that are required in order to meet our international commitments will be carried out only by UK authorities or those authorised to act on their behalf.