Asked by: Lord Elystan-Morgan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received from the Welsh Assembly any formal indication of its intention to reconsider withholding legislative consent to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill; and if such consent continues to be withheld, what action they intend to take.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The December 2017 interim report on legislative consent from the Welsh Assembly’s External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee recommends “that the Assembly withhold its consent for the Bill in its current form” but notes that “this is an interim report and, should the Bill be amended, [the committee] will issue a further report.”
We continue to have positive discussions with the devolved administrations and legislatures to find an agreed approach to clause 11 of the Bill and we intend to bring forward amendments during the Bill’s Lords stages. We are committed to achieving legislative consent for this vital piece of legislation.
Asked by: Lord Elystan-Morgan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to establish a convention of Members of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly Members to consider and discuss the particular anticipated effects of Brexit upon the devolved administrations.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to engagement with the devolved legislatures as we prepare to leave the EU. Ministers have appeared before several committees in the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales to give evidence on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill and the implications of exit for the devolved institutions. Parliamentary Under Secretary Robin Walker also attended the first meeting of the Interparliamentary Forum on Brexit last month.
Asked by: Lord Elystan-Morgan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of the compensation claimed by the EU on the UK’s leaving, what part of that claim represents (1) the apportionment of benefits accruing in future to the UK, (2) restitution for breach of contract, if any, and in respect of what breach, and (3) damages claimed punitively; and what discount has been offered as being due to the UK in respect of EU assets.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We recognise that the UK has obligations towards the EU, and the EU has obligations to the UK. An agreement on any financial settlement can only come as part of the settlement of all the issues mentioned in the Prime Minister’s Florence Speech. We are making clear progress in building a common technical understanding on every item.
The treatment of the European Union’s assets will need to be agreed as part of the negotiations.
Asked by: Lord Elystan-Morgan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Goldie on 17 October (HL Deb, col 511) on the update on the Brexit negotiations, whether they keep a record of informal meetings with Welsh Ministers; whether such meetings have agendas; whether minutes are prepared and formally kept; and if not, whether they plan to keep such records.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has been engaging with the devolved administrations throughout the negotiation process. At formal meetings where Government business is discussed, officials attend and minutes are prepared in line with usual practice. A list of ministerial meetings is published with each quarterly transparency return. We are committed to positive and productive engagement with the devolved administrations going forward as we seek a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom.
Asked by: Lord Elystan-Morgan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement made by Baroness Goldie on 17 October (HL Deb, col 511), (1) how many times the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU has spoken to Welsh government ministers since the 2017 General Election; (2) which ministers were spoken to; (3) when such discussions took place; (4) whether agendas or minutes for such discussions were produced; and (5) whether, in such meetings, consideration was given to raising issues which were subsequently discussed in the October meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU negotiations.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has been engaging with the devolved administrations throughout the negotiation process. Ministers from the Department for Exiting the European Union have held discussions on six separate occasions with the Welsh government since the election to discuss the negotiations with the European Union and preparations for the UK’s future outside of the EU.
The Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations, chaired by the First Secretary of State, was the latest opportunity for the devolved administrations to contribute to this process. Important progress was made. The Committee discussed priorities for the future relationship with the EU and agreed the principles that will underpin common UK frameworks.
Asked by: Lord Elystan-Morgan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement made by Baroness Goldie on 17 October (HL Deb, col 511), what undertakings they have provided to the devolved administrations to seek to negotiate with the EU in such a way as to serve the interests of the devolved administrations and the people they represent.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
As the Prime Minister has set out, as we leave the EU we are committed to securing a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom - for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and all parts of England.
The Secretary of State is regularly engaging with ministers from the Scottish and Welsh Governments. The meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations, chaired by the First Secretary of State on 16 October, was the latest opportunity for the devolved administrations to contribute to this process.
Asked by: Lord Elystan-Morgan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of statements made by the Prime Minister about a vision of a global Britain following Brexit, how consistent, or otherwise, this is with her previous undertaking to the devolved administrations that their interests would be properly represented in the Brexit negotiations.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
As the Prime Minister has set out, as we leave the EU we are committed to securing a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom - for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and all parts of England.
We have been clear from the start that the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in this process. The First Secretary of State most recently chaired a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations with the devolved administrations on Monday 16 October to discuss matters, including the UK’s priorities for the next phase of negotiations.
We are committed to continued positive and productive engagement with the devolved administrations.