VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Business: Northern Ireland

Asked by Alex EastonIndependentNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled Answered 22 May 2025UIN 53379

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU reset deal on businesses in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn

The Government's new strategic partnership with the EU will deliver greater prosperity and security for Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole. In particular, the new SPS Agreement with the EU will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK’s internal market, reducing costs for businesses and improving consumer choice.

The Summit also marked the establishment of a new security and defence partnership that will help us work together with the EU on threats to national security and will support our defence industry, which has more than 9,000 aerospace, defence, space, and security jobs in Northern Ireland. In addition, we announced a closer law enforcement relationship with the EU that will help prevent crime and bring perpetrators to justice.

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