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Select committee: Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee

1st Report - Northern Ireland after Brexit: Strengthening Northern Ireland’s voice in the context of the Windsor Framework

Published 15 October 2025

Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee Strengthening Northern Ireland’s Voice in the context of the Windsor Framework Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glanceGovernment response published 9 February 2026 (deadline 6 February 2026)

The government's response

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government welcomes the Committee's report as a "comprehensive study" and responds in detail, citing its response to the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework and its stated commitment to the Windsor Framework and the UK internal market.

  • On stakeholder engagement, the Government "accepts the need for better joining-up in our sectoral engagement" and will undertake a mapping exercise between the Cabinet Office and Executive Office.
  • It has established a new Northern Ireland Business Stakeholders Group, which met for the first time in December 2025, and says an enhanced 'one stop shop' for SMEs will be delivered "within the next financial year".
  • It states it will not pursue a UK-developed database of EU rules, as it does "not believe this would deliver the same value" as an enhanced support offer for SMEs.
  • On transparency, it does not believe publishing the outcomes of official-level meetings is "necessary or proportionate", and considers the level of focus on UK-EU bodies "correct and proportionate".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Sources