The aim of the framework is to reduce the level of controls on goods coming from Great Britain which are intended to be sold in NI
By John Campbell
BBC News NI economics and business editor
Concerns about the practical impact of the Windsor Framework have not materialised and cannot be used to justify not restoring Stormont, a Cabinet Office minister has said.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe’s comments were made in a letter to a Lords committee.
She said ministers are aware that some sought to justify not forming an executive over concerns it would be “disruptive and unworkable”.
The first ‘Not For EU’ labels on food started appearing in supermarkets in August
However, temporary workarounds and an initial light touch approach to enforcement means that consumers have not experienced any impacts and Baroness Neville-Rolfe’s comments suggest ministers are confident that the implementation is going to plan so far.
The BBC has asked Booker to comment.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) walked out of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government 20 months ago with the resignation of then-first minister Paul Givan in protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol, the predecessor to the Windsor Framework.
The party has said the framework is not sufficiently different from the protocol and continues to undermine Northern Ireland’s place in the UK.
He said: “We are making progress, but there remains more work to do. I am hopeful that remaining concerns can be addressed as quickly as possible.”
