I have spent a lot of time since the Bill was published looking at it in detail and discussing the specific clauses with my colleagues. I agree with everyone who has contacted me that International law is important. However, if we are unable to make sensible arrangements as the EU has acted in bad faith, we must make it clear what we might do. We are not yet at the stage where international law has been broken.
The Government needs to legislate to prevent any new barriers to trade from emerging within the four nations of the UK as EU law falls away. The overarching aim of the UKIM Bill is to ensure businesses across all parts of the United Kingdom will continue to enjoy seamless internal trade, as they have done for centuries, after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. The Bill focuses on measures that safeguard mutual recognition and non-discrimination within the UK. It introduces a Market Access Commitment to give UK businesses certainty that their goods and services can be traded in all four home nations.
The Northern Ireland Protocol did not cover all the details of trade. These were left to a Joint Committee to resolve. It was assumed that this would be possible before the end of this year. With the end of the Transition Period fast approaching, and with no agreement yet reached, the provisions in the UKIM Bill aims to provide for a safety net to protect the Union and ensure that the UK’s obligations under the Belfast Agreement are met. It is important to stress that this is only to be used as a last resort.
It is not new for Parliament to consider legislation that could override treaty obligations. The UK’s constitutional settlement provides for Parliament alone to decide whether and how to implement the UK’s treaty obligations.
In my role as the Minister for Food, I have been working closely with supermarkets and suppliers to ensure the food network is resilient and Northern Ireland will still be able to access food from the rest of Great Britain. If we reach a point in our negotiations where we feel the EU is not acting in good faith it is important that we are able to act openly and transparently in in making arrangements accordingly.
