Protocol to top agenda for Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart after her appointment to influential NI Affairs Committee in Westminster

The DUP MP was chosen by her party leader, Rt Hon Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, to take on the role.

Mrs Lockhart said: “I am very much looking forward to getting involved in the work of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. This body has a wide portfolio of work, with a number of inquirers currently underway across a range of issues pertaining to Northern Ireland.

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"Importantly, these inquiries include investigating the impact of the Protocol. As we approach the end of grace periods we are likely to see the impact of the Protocol worsen, with our haulage sector indicating Northern Ireland hauliers could grind to a halt within 48 hours of the grace period ending. That is in no ones interest, and it is why the DUP has been consistent in asking for the Protocol to be replaced with arrangements that restore the free flow of goods across the Irish Sea.

"Through my membership of the Committee, I will be a consistent and determined advocate for such an outcome.

"I want to thank my Party Leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, for appointing me to this important role for Northern Ireland. Since becoming MP in 2019 I have been a strong advocate for Northern Ireland in Parliament, and I hope that this new role will open up new opportunities to do even more for my constituents, and deliver better outcomes for Northern.”