Sir Jeffrey Donaldson uses data commissioned by the DUP-led department to support allegations about the NI protocol during a debate

The figures, quoted by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson during a televised debate, were commissioned by a DUP-led department in Stormont and are not available to the public.

This comes after the DUP leader made allegations about rising food prices in a debate on BBC NI leaders on Tuesday night.

Sir Jeffrey claims that the increase in food spending in Northern Ireland is a “direct result of the NI protocol” – citing data that has already emerged from a private report commissioned by the Department of the Economy, confirmed a data analysis firm .

During the debate, Sir Jeffrey said: “As a direct result of the increased cost of importing food from the UK to Northern Ireland due to the protocol, consumers in Northern Ireland now pay an average of 4% more per item than in the UK at present.

“When you look at dairy products, it goes up to 8%, and when you look at refrigerated convenience goods, it goes up to 19% more for those products. That’s the protocol. “

The DUP leader said his source for the figures was the tool for tracking the average price of the Kantar GB panel and tracking the average price of the Kantar NI panel.

When contacted to confirm the figures and whether the increase in costs was directly related to the protocol, data analytics firm Kantar said the figures came from a report prepared for the Northern Ireland Department of the Economy. The department was headed by a DUP minister in Stormont’s last term.

“While Kantar did this study, it was commissioned by a specific client (in this case the government) and therefore the data belongs to them,” a spokesman told the Belfast Telegraph.

“It is not publicly available and unfortunately we are not authorized to share it through the press center.”

The Ministry of Economy and the Minister of Economy Gordon Lyons from DUP were contacted for comment.

Asked if Kantar said that the rise in prices was directly related to the protocol, Mr Donaldson told the BBC: “Yes, this shows that the additional costs are related to the increase in additional customs controls, delays in the transportation of goods. , additional documents and additional staff to be hired [as a result of the protocol]”