Mr Brooks said,
“We are disappointed by any delay, but this is progress, and the Government have been clear that their system is ready to operate and will go live on 1 May. I am glad we are moving beyond words and this is concrete action which will help consumers and remove the need for routine customs declarations on parcels.
We opposed the Northern Ireland Protocol at every turn, but it was foisted on Northern Ireland against the wishes of all Unionist MLAs. We have sought to undo the damaging effects flowing from it. In Safeguarding the Union, we were able to secure bodies such as Inter-trade UK and the Independent Monitoring Panel to assist with trade between Northern Ireland the rest of the UK. I am glad they are now also operational.
We continue to fight to restore Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, including removing the application of EU law in our country and the internal Irish Sea Border it creates. We will continue to argue the case for the full primacy of the United Kingdom internal market and we will continue to reject the undermining of its integrity.
Next week, my colleague Gregory Campbell will lead a debate in the House of Commons specifically focusing on the challenges faced by the horticultural sector in Northern Ireland who continue to struggle with many of their GB based supply chains.”