Carla Lockhart MP said:

“While the Bill increases financial assistance for industry and raises the statutory limit for UK Export Finance, the reality is that Northern Ireland does not stand on equal ground.

I spoke in support of new clause 1, which simply asked the Government to return to Parliament annually and set out clearly how each part of the United Kingdom has benefited from this increased support. That is not radical or wrecking; it is reasonable transparency.

Under article 10 of the Windsor framework, EU state aid rules continue to apply in Northern Ireland where support may affect trade in goods within the European Union. That means while the rest of the United Kingdom operates under one subsidy regime, Northern Ireland remains under a different legal shadow.

The practical effect is hesitation in Departments, hesitation in advice and hesitation in investment. That is not equality within our Union.

The wider damage caused by the protocol and the Windsor framework cannot be ignored. The Federation of Small Businesses has reported that 58% of Northern Ireland businesses face moderate to significant challenges as a result, and more than one third have stopped trading with Great Britain altogether to avoid the cost and complexity. That is economic distortion within our own country.

Businesses in Northern Ireland pay the same taxes as those in England, Scotland and Wales. They deserve the same support, without qualification, constraint or legal ambiguity.

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. If the Government believes we are benefiting equally from this legislation, it should have no difficulty publishing the evidence annually. Transparency should not be feared.

I will continue to press for equal treatment for Northern Ireland and for the removal of arrangements that place our businesses at a structural disadvantage within their own national market.”