The Ulster Unionist Party Leader Doug Beattie MC MLA said:

“There are those who say that today’s Queen’s Speech in Parliament did not address the issue of the NI Protocol. I say that is incorrect.   

“There is a line in the speech which says ‘My Government will prioritise support for the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and its institutions, including through legislation to address the legacy of the past.’

“Given the fact that the Protocol imbalances the Belfast Agreement, it should be clear to anyone that the Government recognises the need to act on the Protocol.

“The landing zone is clear. There should be no checks on goods coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain which are solely intended for use in Northern Ireland. 

“The Ulster Unionist Party has been stating this since 2019, we restated it during the Assembly election campaign and I am repeating it now. We have produced proposals, some of which have made it into the UK Government’s Command Paper of July 2021and we have taken every opportunity to engage with both our own Government and the EU to urge them to reach a solution. 

“It is vital that this matter is resolved as a matter of urgency so we can get back to Stormont and begin the job of delivering for the people of Northern Ireland who elected us, and focus on the economy, health care and the cost of living crisis.”