Economy official says there is 'not a lot of detail' about InterTrade UK body set up as part of Stormont deal

The DUP chair of the economy committee Phillip Brett said “the recent UK government command paper referenced InterTradeUK, a new body that’s going to be set up by the UK government to continue to promote trade within the UK internal market”.

He asked Mr Snowden: “Does the department recognise the importance of that market for our businesses here in Northern Ireland?”

The permanent secretary, responded: “Obviously it is a very important market. The majority of exports from Northern Ireland go to Great Britain.

"In terms of the East-West InterTrade organisation, there is not a lot of detail on that at the minute. The primary function of it will be to promote NI businesses in the GB market. That’s why it is being established, and we’ll be working with the Department for Business and Trade in regard to how that might be set up and operated.

"But we have started to look at the work that was done around the establishment of InterTrade Ireland as being a starting point for how that might work”.

The government’s Safeguarding the Union command paper – part of a deal with the DUP to restore Stormont – said it “will create the structures, including a new body - Intertrade UK - to support, facilitate and boost trade within the United Kingdom”.

It also said there would be “immediate work to identify ways to ensure that businesses can supply goods and services to the whole of the UK, including exploring how Intertrade UK can provide the information and clarification that businesses need to simplify and reduce unnecessary burdens in making their goods and services available in all parts of the UK.

The body is also supposed to hold the government to account on its delivery of the deal and work alongside an Independent Monitoring Panel “to consider where the red lane is being used for trade that could legitimately be moved within the UK internal market systems”.

The deal also said “under the auspices of the East-West Council, the Government will establish Intertrade UK in early 2024”.

The News Letter has contacted the UK government to ask what steps it has taken in relation to the establishment of InterTrade UK.

Mr Brett also asked the permanent secretary what options the department have on the table for revenue raising measures.

Mr Snowden said the biggest single one is student tuition fees. He said the secretary of state instructed officials in September to produce a consultation paper and quite a lot of work was done on it. He said that had been passed on to the NIO. He pointed out that economy minister Conor Murphy has said he is not keen on increasing student tuition fees.