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PRIVACY
Economic Development

New internal market plans could lead to the break up of the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ warns Welsh Government

Counsel General Jeremy Miles said the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Internal Market Bill could be challenged in the Supreme Court

(Image: www.adrianwhitephotography.co.uk)

A Westminster Bill expected to be published this week will
seriously undermine devolution and may lead directly to the break-up of the United Kingdom, a senior Welsh Government Minister has warned.

Jeremy Miles, the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition, says he will study the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Internal Market Bill in detail before deciding whether its potential implications for the devolution settlement could be challenged in the Supreme Court.

Mr Miles is angry that º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, with whom he attended a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council last Thursday, has failed to provide the Welsh Government with advance sight of the Bill, which will set out the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Government’s blueprint for trade within the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ after Britain leaves the EU’s single market and customs union at the end of 2020.

Based on the contents of a º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Government White Paper published in July, Mr Miles has particular concerns about four ways in which he believes the Bill may grab back powers from Wales.

He said: “It would limit the power of the Senedd to control what goods can be put on the market in Wales. At present we have the power to decide whether to ban the sale of single-use plastic items, for example. Under the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Government’s proposals, we would lose the right to stop such items being sold if they were allowed elsewhere in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ.

“Wales would also be forced  to accept lower standards on animal welfare and environmental protection if another country in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ wanted to do that in line with what is known as he principle of mutual recognition.

“Secondly, the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Government wants to make the principle of state aid one that is reserved to it rather than, as at present, one that is devolved to Wales and the other º£½ÇÊÓÆµ nations. This would be a serious roll-back of the Senedd’s powers. We in Wales should have the power to determine the subsidies we make to businesses and parts of the economy.

“The º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Government also wants procurement policy to be taken out of Wales’ hands and reserved to Westminster.