AQW 12876/22-27

Mr Matthew O'Toole
Social Democratic and Labour Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 03/06/2024
Answered On Date: 07/06/2024
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy how many meetings he has sought with the Home Secretary, or other UK government ministers, to discuss the effects of the electronic travel authorisation on tourism and the wider Northern Ireland economy.

Answer:

I am concerned about the impact of the introduction of the British Government’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Scheme on our tourism sector.

For that reason, I wrote to Tom Pursglove MP, the Minister for Legal Migration and the Border at the British Home Office on 26 April 2024 to seek an urgent meeting to discuss my concerns and to find solutions that would protect our tourism industry such as an exemption for tourists crossing the land border into the north. I copied this letter to Chris Heaton-Harris MP, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Julia Lopez MP, the Minister of State at the Department for Culture, Media & Sport.

I have had no response to my letter, and we are now into the pre-election period ahead of the British General Election. I intend to write again to the relevant British Home Office Minister when one is appointed after the election next month.