I thank my noble friend Lady Lawlor for her Amendments 36 and 37. I can assure her that exporters in Northern Ireland will benefit from CPTPP in the same way as exporters across the United Kingdom. It is also right that the people of Northern Ireland have a say in how EU laws apply in Northern Ireland. I would be delighted to have further discussions with her; this amendment was tabled quite late in the day, I am afraid, so I would like to explore further and see whether there are any nuances I could assist her with to give her a degree of comfort about how the CPTPP will apply to the whole United Kingdom, particularly Northern Ireland.
4.45 pm
Once the Northern Ireland Executive is restored, the Windsor Framework will provide them with access to the Stormont brake, which is a powerful lever that enables them to block specific laws impacting Northern Ireland. There will also be regular opportunities for the people of Northern Ireland to have a say via the consent vote. For these reasons, Amendment 36 is
deemed unnecessary, along with Amendment 37, as the clause relates to provisions that apply only in Great Britain, and the Windsor Framework makes clear which EU regulations apply in Northern Ireland.
On technical barriers to trade and conformity assessment, the clause’s application is limited to Great Britain, so under the Windsor Framework only EU legislation relating to conformity assessment of goods applies in Northern Ireland. The protocol for the UK’s accession to the CPTPP provides that nothing in the CPTPP will undermine the Windsor Framework. Therefore, the EU regulations on accreditation will continue to apply in Northern Ireland, rather than the requirement for national treatment of conformity assessment bodies.
The measures relating to geographical indications will also apply only in Great Britain—we debated this earlier—and will not apply in Northern Ireland, in line with our commitments under the Windsor Framework. Under the terms of the Windsor Framework, the EU’s GI schemes continue to apply to Northern Ireland, and our accession to CPTPP does not alter this. I do not know whether my noble friend will find this reassuring, but I have stated the case as it is. I am happy to have further discussions, but I would be grateful if, in this instance, she will withdraw her amendment.