The United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020

Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition (in respect of his 'law officer' responsibilities) – in the Senedd at 2:46 pm on 12 January 2021.

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Photo of Jeremy Miles Jeremy Miles Labour 2:46, 12 January 2021

Well, I'm glad to give the assurance that the Member seeks. The most recent example of that is, of course, the internal market Act itself and the steps that we have outlined as a Government that we will take in all the options available to us to protect the competence of the Senedd. 

In relation to the broader point that the Member asks about, representing Wales's interests in the world after we have departed from the European Union, as we have, and the end of the transition period, she gives two examples there. One was in relation to the use of neonicotinoids, I believe, and I know my colleague the environment Minister will want me to reassure her that this, in Wales, is devolved to Wales. And in relation to the other point that she makes, about access to visas, we have continued throughout to make representations to the UK Government in relation to the operation of its new immigration system. Probably two years ago, mid 2019, was the last inter-governmental meeting between Ministers in relation to migration policy. And since then, we have not succeeded in being able to re-establish those. They are very important. Even though migration policy obviously is reserved, the impact of it in Wales, in the way that the Member's question identifies and in a range of other ways, is felt very keenly, and therefore it's very appropriate for Governments to work together in relation to some of these aspects, and we call on the UK Government to reinstate that inter-ministerial set of discussions so that we can do just that.