Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:50 pm on 20 October 2020.
First Minister, another defining issue where the people of Wales are at the mercy of Westminster is planning for the end of the Brexit transition period and the proposed UK internal market. I agree with the Counsel General when he said that a UK Government seeking the power to spend in devolved areas and to control that spending is one which seeks to neuter and negate the devolution settlement. I agree with you, First Minister, that this will hasten the break-up of the United Kingdom. For Wales, the Bill is damaging without precedent, emerging fully-fledged as the single biggest sustained assault yet to threaten democratic devolution. The Bill conjures up the spectre of a no trade deal and the UK breaking international law, which has been condemned by just about everyone from the Confederation of British Industry to the Anglican Church. Given the Counsel General's and your well-founded concerns about the attitude and behaviour of the Westminster Government, what legal advice has the Welsh Government received on a potential challenge to the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill in the Supreme Court?