THE British government is "committed" to providing protections that allow the north to trade freely with the rest of the UK, it has been claimed at Westminster.
British deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said London is prepared to work with "representatives across unionism" to show it was taking "further steps" to protect trade and Northern Ireland's place within the union.
Mr Dowden made the comments in an answer to DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons.
The DUP leader said Mr Dowden would be aware of the "ongoing concerns of unionism in Northern Ireland about our ability to trade freely within the UK and its internal market".
The comments from Mr Dowden follow the UK foreign secretary James Cleverly this week ruling out any further renegotiation with the EU over the Windsor Framework deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The DUP is continuing to boycott power sharing at Stormont over the Protocol, which formed part of the UK and EU's 2019 Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, and kept the north aligned with EU Single Market rules.
The DUP has said the Windsor Framework does not address its concerns over the Protocol, and has called for further negotiation between the UK and EU.
Mr Cleverly told the House of Lords' Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Sub-Committee when asked by UUP peer Reg Empey if any renegotiation with the EU was planned during the current parliament term: "It is a very simple answer, which is no."
He added: "The idea that somehow there was a significantly or subtly better deal just over the horizon I think is wrong.”
At Wednesday's PMQs, Mr Donaldson asked his question regarding trade between the north and Britain "given the continued application of EU law on the manufacture of all goods in Northern Ireland".
The Lagan Valley MP added: "We now have proposals for a future border operating model that could potentially create further barriers to trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain."
He asked for "an assurance that the government will, in law, protect Northern Ireland's ability to trade freely within and with the rest of the UK".
Mr Dowden said the government had "already shown a willingness to legislate to protect Northern Ireland's place within the union".
"We are committed to providing exactly the protections that (Mr Donaldson) refers to around Northern Ireland's unfettered access to the whole UK market, so I can give these assurances," he said, adding London would work with Mr Donaldson and "representatives across unionism to reflect the further steps required to strengthen our precious union".
