The Northern Ireland Office has rejected criticism that Sir Chris Bryant is downplaying issues with the Irish Sea border, after an Ulster Unionist MLA raised concerns at a Stormont scrutiny committee.

Sir Chris Bryant, the Northern Ireland Office minister, said earlier this month that the region’s post-Brexit trade position offered the best of both worlds, with access to both the United Kingdom and European Union single markets.

UUP MLA Steve Aiken challenged the remarks, telling the committee that problems with the arrangements arise on a weekly basis, and that the minister should not be naive about the continuing difficulties.

In response, an NIO spokesperson stated that the government was committed to protecting the UK internal market and the Windsor Framework. The spokesperson added that dual market access was critical to Northern Ireland’s strong manufacturing sector, which continues to perform well despite global challenges.

The Stormont committee scrutinises EU laws that affect Northern Ireland under the terms of the Windsor Framework, the post-Brexit agreement that created a customs and regulatory border in the Irish Sea.

Steve Aiken detailed a number of issues that have emerged since the Assembly recess. He confirmed that a tax on parcels would not be applied in Northern Ireland, but expressed uncertainty about the impact of a forthcoming EU administration charge.

Aiken also warned that Northern Ireland could be affected by a US-EU dispute over digital regulation. He noted that the Trump administration has threatened massive counter tariffs if the EU fines Google under the Digital Markets Act.