The Government has today [Tuesday 16 December] accepted all
recommendations in the Independent Review of the Windsor
Framework.
The Review followed the democratic consent vote on the trading
arrangements under the Windsor Framework held in the Northern
Ireland Assembly in December 2024. It was led by the Rt Hon
, who published the
recommendations in September 2025.
Responding to today's publication, the Secretary of State for
Northern Ireland, , said:
This Government remains steadfastly committed to ensuring that
Northern Ireland's trading arrangements command the broadest
possible support. Today's response to Lord Murphy's report shows
we are taking practical steps in response to the views of
businesses and communities.
We believe that the best and most sustainable results are
achieved through agreed trading arrangements, and working in
partnership with business and civic society. That is why we
continue to work toward an SPS agreement with the EU from which
Northern Ireland's traders and hauliers stand to resoundingly
benefit.
An enhanced ‘one stop shop' advice service for businesses,
strengthened arrangements for the Assembly to scrutinise EU
regulations, and better consultation t across all communities,
were among recommendations outlined in the report.
Today's response from the Government will respond to all of
them, and help smooth flows of trade within the UK internal
market. We will:
- Deliver the support businesses need: Take forward £16.6
million in funding allocated at the Budget to deliver an enhanced
‘one stop shop' advice service for small businesses and new
funding for Intertrade UK, to boost trade within the UK;
- Champion Dual Market Access: Actively promote the
benefits of Northern Ireland's dual market access to businesses
at home and abroad;
- Empower the Assembly: Give the Northern Ireland Assembly
greater flexibility to scrutinise EU regulations within the
statutory democratic scrutiny period;
- Better engagement: Improve engagement with a range of
sectoral stakeholders and businesses as the Government implements
the Framework;
- Deal with practical concerns: Exploring and developing a
scheme to support small businesses to trade with NI where they
lack a local presence to satisfy product safety rules, and
preparing improvements to the Duty Reimbursement Scheme; and
- Smooth trade flows further: Continuing work to smooth
the flow of goods, including new measures to safeguard the supply
of veterinary medicines from 1 January 2026 and to swiftly
progress a future UK/EU SPS agreement.
Today's publication also reflects on the progress made by the
Government over the past 12 months with a reduction in SPS
‘identity checks', and new arrangements for freight, parcels and
medicines that were delivered in the course of the year.
Notes to editors:
- Full response available here.
