6. Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition: The UK Internal Market Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:19 pm on 15 September 2020.

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Photo of Jeremy Miles Jeremy Miles Labour 6:19, 15 September 2020

Dirprwy Lywydd, the reason I have challenged this Bill is not at all for the reason that the Member gives; it's precisely because I understand that if the UK Government proceeds in this way, it poses a threat to the union, actually, and I don't want to see that happen. And I know that devolution and high standards are nowhere near the top of the list of the Member's priorities, but they are in this place, and I stand by the remarks that I made in that letter.

I think it's absolutely fundamental to any understanding of devolution that the UK Government ought to operate on an agreed basis with other Governments in the UK in relation to devolved matters. And we have put forward, as a Government, an alternative mechanism for achieving that, which is constructive, is capable of working, and incidentally it's one the UK Government have themselves been participating in. So, we're not opposed to the idea of an internal market. We have also said, incidentally, that we are not opposed to elements of legislation to support the common frameworks, but there is a much better way forward than the way this Bill represents. It's to continue the work of common frameworks and achieve this set of outcomes on an agreed basis across the UK, not an imposed basis, which is what this Bill represents.