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  United Kingdom Internal Market Bill - Clause 40 - Northern Ireland - Avoiding a Hard Border - Compliance with Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and Withdrawal Agreement
  
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  @ MP voted aye to make avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland a "paramount duty" for those implementing new arrangements following the UK's withdrawal from the EU, and for new arrangements to be consistent with the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement and its Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol.
  @ MP voted no against making avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland a "paramount duty" for those implementing new arrangements following the UK's withdrawal from the EU, and against a duty to ensure consistency of new arrangements with the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement and its Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol.
  
  The majority of MPs voted against making avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland a "paramount duty" for those implementing new arrangements following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, and against a duty to ensure consistency of new arrangements with the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the United Kingdom - European Union Withdrawal Agreement and its Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol.
  
  
  MPs were considering the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill[1][2].
  
  The amendment rejected in this vote was:
  
  :Amendment 41, page 31, line 16, at end insertâ
  
  :â(1A) When exercising any functions covered by this Part, any appropriate authority has a paramount dutyâ
  
  :(a) to act without prejudice to all international and domestic law, including the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-withdrawal-agreement-and-political-declaration Withdrawal Agreement];
  
  :(b) to address the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland;
  
  :(c) to maintain the necessary conditions for continued North-South cooperation;
  
  :(d) to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland;
  
  :(e) to protect the [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-belfast-agreement Belfast/Good Friday Agreement] in all its dimensions.â 
  
  The rejected amendment was accompanied by the following explanatory statement from its proposer:
  
  :This amendment is intended to provide a safeguard so that any actions with respect to Part 5 of the Bill must be consistent with relevant existing international and domestic law commitments, including the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement and its Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol.
  
  Had it not been rejected the amendment would have added to Clause 40[3] of the Bill which set out duties on UK ministers, ministers of devolved administrations and other public officials to
  
  :have special regard to the following matters when exercising any function for a relevant purposeâ
  :(a)  the need to maintain Northern Irelandâs integral place in the United Kingdomâs internal market;
  :(b)the need to respect Northern Irelandâs place as part of the customs territory of the United Kingdom; and
  :(c)the need to facilitate the free flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland with the aim ofâ
  :(i)streamlining trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and
  :(ii)maintaining  and  strengthening  the  integrity  and  smooth operation of the internal market in the United Kingdom.
  
  
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  * [1] [https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2019-21/unitedkingdominternalmarket.html Parliament's webpage on the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill, Parliament.uk]
  * [2] [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-01/0177/en/20177en.pdf Explanatory notes to the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill, Parliament.uk website]
  * [3] [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-01/0177/20177.pdf?page=35 Version of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill to which this amendment relates, p31 containing Clause 40, Parliament.uk website]
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  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  