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<p>We have provided extensive support for businesses, including through the Trader
Support Service and the Movement Assistance Scheme. We have also invested in promoting
growth and opportunities in Northern Ireland, including through £500m of funding for
the PEACE Plus programme over seven years and through our £400m New Deal for Northern
Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>However, we recognise the significant impact that the Protocol
has had on businesses in Northern Ireland, despite the extraordinary efforts they
have made to adapt to new requirements. Indeed it is hard to see that the way the
Protocol is currently operating can be sustainable for long. That is why we are committed
to working urgently and in good faith, through the structures of the Withdrawal Agreement,
to find pragmatic ways forward on the issues that have been identified. We hope that,
in order for those discussions to make the progress we need, there can be a common
sense, risk-based, approach from the EU. We continue to consider all our options in
meeting our overriding responsibility for sustaining the peace and prosperity of everyone
in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p>
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