, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
We've got to let you go, but let me just end where we began. You wrote, together with Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the constitution, in an open letter in the Times, urging the UK Government to withdraw the Bill. Have you had a response?
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
It certainly is. We've focused a lot on inter-governmental stuff and how this is going to work and, to some extent, interparliamentary. But can we finish just with a question from James on the wider groups of people out there who do want to be involved in…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
It's going to be very busy for Ministers, isn't it, with—what is it—a regular, reliable rhythm of meetings and discussions.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Okay. If I could simply ask you: in all of this, how does this at all now tie in to discussions around things like common frameworks? What are the implications of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 on the Bill's operation? All of this is happening…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Peredur, did you have any other questions?
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
We could go through similar questions in terms of environmental concerns on this as well.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
We've had a range of stakeholders raise—from different angles, by the way—concerns about the legislation, regulatory ceilings, this, that and the other. But let me just focus on one of them, because it's interesting for this committee, bearing in mind the…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Okay. Just one other question from me, and then, if you've got time, we've just got a couple of other short ones then.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
I guess what we're getting at here is that you may need to actually take steps to bring forward more legislation to deal with some of these aspects. But of course, just an observation: we have the agriculture Bill currently going through, in which there is…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Under the current situation, as opposed to any constitutional changes, give us a practical illustration of how you can protect something such as retained EU law areas such as Schedule 1 to the Agriculture (Wales) Bill, which falls squarely here at the moment…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Thanks, Peredur. Alun, did you want to return to issues around the regulatory landscape?
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
You’re being very frank with us. Peredur.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Right, okay. Sorry, Alun, did you want to—? James.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Do you have some idea in your discussions or your officials' discussions as to how this timetable is panning out? Are we talking about February? Because December 2023 in legislative terms is a blink of the eye. Any idea?
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Oh my god. [Laughter.]
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Okay. So, my second question would be—because if people are listening in on this, what they will not have, they’ll have heard your commitment to do everything, to move heaven and earth to do it, but it’s not an absolute guarantee, which may be well…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Minister, can I just follow up on Peredur’s question? Because I’ve tried to listen with interest, and I recognise everything you’ve said about the uncertainty at the moment, but are you saying that the full legislative programme that we currently understand…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Thanks, James. Peredur.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
James, do you mind if Alun comes in?
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Thanks, Alun. We may return to some of these points. But, James, over to you.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Okay. Alun, take us on; clear up some of this uncertainty.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Okay. Just finally from me: the UK Government's impact assessment on the Bill has been deemed unfit for purpose by you. So, are you carrying out your own impact assessment?
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Right, okay. Okay. So, what we're hearing here is that, regardless of the presentation of this, there are some similar exercises going on in Scotland and Wales. You're doing as much as you can with the uncertainty that you have to try—. Right, okay. Okay…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Okay. Yes, okay. But I'm sure your officials behind the scenes are liaising with them so they'll have some idea of what they're doing. It would be quite interesting—
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill: Ministerial evidence session
Ah, okay. Okay.
