Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Brexit Minister (in respect of his Brexit Minister responsibilities) – in the Senedd at 3:08 pm on 13 February 2019.
Well, when it was agreed in the first place, there was a great deal of criticism in this Chamber that the Government had agreed, in principle, to secure this kind of agreement, but the agreement has succeeded. I do not doubt for a moment that there have been examples where we would have wished for greater collaboration. That is evidently clear. Things have improved over the latest period, but there was a suggestion that powers would be reserved. That hasn’t happened. There was a suggestion that powers would be frozen. That hasn’t happened. The United Kingdom Government has confirmed that for the second time. So, the Government’s intention was to ensure that we had the kind of agreement that was practical and would enable us to do work in agreeing legislation and frameworks and so on, where they dealt with the devolved issues, and the agreement has succeeded to do that.
I do not doubt for a moment that there have been examples where, in legislation and so on, we haven’t had our ideal solution. Of course that hasn't happened. But that inter-governmental agreement named in the question by the Member has ensured that powers have been retained here, and that we ask the UK Government only to make amendments when they need to do that, when there is no difference with regard to policy between us and the Westminster Government.
May I also say that there is more than one example of us having succeeded as a Government in ensuring that we have had more discussions? And there are more examples where our agreement is interrogated where the matters have not been devolved, but where they impact on Wales in other ways—so, there are examples of the Governments having gone further than the inter-governmental agreement.