Jeremy Miles: The chaos in the UK Government means it's hugely difficult to schedule meetings during recess, the beginning of which coincides with the appointment of a new Prime Minister. I hope the incoming Prime Minister will continue the practice of inviting Welsh Government to be represented at the UK Cabinet meetings when they discuss Brexit preparedness, and we stand ready to attend during recess and...
Jeremy Miles: I have meetings, both scheduled and in my diary. But as I made clear to the Member, getting focus from UK Government Ministers to put in place the sequence of meetings one might wish to see over the coming weeks has been a challenge because the UK Government is facing obviously very significant change as a consequence of the change of Prime Minister.
Jeremy Miles: Legal aid provision is the responsibility of the UK Government and has been subject to substantial cuts since the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 was introduced. We are concerned that the economic damage of Brexit may result in further cuts, which would further impede access to justice.
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for throwing light on what is a very, very difficult issue. I think she's absolutely right to identify the serious risk, in my view, that the range of consequences of Brexit will put pressure on families across Wales. I think from a legal aid perspective, we are concerned that, particularly with the economic impact of a 'no deal' Brexit, that would put even further pressure...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that question and for the way in which she presented it, if I may say, and I share the sentiment that she started the question with. I would be very happy to look at the work of that group and see how I can support their work or get engaged with what they are doing. I'd be very happy to look into that, and I thank her for making that suggestion.
Jeremy Miles: I have had numerous discussions in relation to United Kingdom governance arrangements post Brexit, most recently at the Joint Ministerial Committee (European Negotiations) meeting on 28 June.
Jeremy Miles: That’s a very important question. We have a long way to go in dealing with the changes that will come following Brexit to ensure that the constitutional settlement and the relationship between the nations of the United Kingdom work in a better way than they do at present. Our focus as a Government, on the whole, has been mainly on how the mechanics work between the Governments, because...
Jeremy Miles: The Welsh Government is doing all it can to support businesses in preparations for EU exit through advice, guidance and resources that we and the Development Bank of Wales are making available. However, no preparations can fully mitigate the effects of a 'no deal' Brexit.
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that question and I recognise very much the sorts of challenges that she described companies and businesses in her constituency as suffering—the challenges in particular for small businesses, who may not have the resources or the breadth of time and capacity to address what are, for all of us, a very complex, interconnected set of challenges. Perhaps it's particularly...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I don't know. It depends on the new Prime Minister. I have repeatedly called on the United Kingdom Government to share information on preparations for all possible Brexit outcomes. The flow of information has improved, particularly on 'no deal' Brexit preparation, but it's still imperfect.
Jeremy Miles: Well, that is not what I said. I said that I didn’t know when the information would be forthcoming from the United Kingdom Government. As regards preparation, it’s important, isn't it, that we make all possible preparation to ensure that we are in the best position possible when the times comes to leave, if the time comes to leave? It is definitely certain that we haven’t got the full...
Jeremy Miles: Aspects of the Dunlop review can be welcomed. It has the potential to support the joint inter-governmental relations review, however there are fundamental questions about the devolution settlement and the role of territorial offices that are beyond the scope of the review but nonetheless need to be addressed.
Jeremy Miles: Well, I thank the Member for that supplementary question. He'll recall, I think, the speech that the First Minister made to the Institute for Government a few weeks ago, where he said that devolution, effectively, wasn't simply a question of what happens in Wales, but it's also a question of what happens in Westminster, and it's incumbent on Westminster to look at how Westminster and...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I note the points that the Member makes. It isn't just a question of being given a heads-up. I think that, in a sense, reveals the challenge that we face. It isn't just a question of telling us what's going on. It's a question of proper, deep engagement in the future constitution of the United Kingdom, and that's the bit that's missing. We get plenty of heads-up, although not on this...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I can give her the assurance, certainly, that this Government will always fight to make sure that Wales's interests are best reflected in all the discussions and negotiations that we have with the UK Government and we will not tolerate the taking away of any powers from this Assembly or Welsh Government. She has my categorical assurance in relation to that. She will have noted the terms...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I thank the Member for that. Can I also take the opportunity of thanking him for his work chairing the regional investment steering group, which is important work and goes to the heart of the point I made to Llyr Gruffydd earlier about needing to take proactive steps in a very creative and imaginative way to look at how we can deliver some of these funding sources into the future...
Jeremy Miles: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. In opening, may I recognise the comments of the Llywydd on our productive discussions, and thank her for those? I also wish to thank the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee and the Finance Committee for their scrutiny work on the Bill and for their report, and I'd also like to thank the Chairs for their contributions to this debate. I want to...
Jeremy Miles: On recommendations 11, 12 and 13, the Welsh Government is creating the stakeholder group and will do as the committee recommends, with the caveat that the work will be wider in scope than recommendation 12 suggests. We are committed to engaging as wide a range of stakeholders as possible in our work on raising awareness about the franchise changes contained in the Bill and in the forthcoming...
Jeremy Miles: I continue to press the UK Government for clarity on our role in the next phase of negotiations. As I set out at the meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU negotiations last month, reaching agreement on many areas is a constitutional necessity.
Jeremy Miles: The UK Government has committed a number of times to respect devolution in developing the Shared Prosperity Fund, but their actions have resolutely not done so. We urgently need certainty that our devolved competences will be respected as well as confirmation of replacement EU funding in full.
