Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to involve the devolved administrations in its negotiations with the EU and the governments of other EU member states on reform of the UK's terms of membership of the EU in respect of matters that fall wholly or partly within devolved competences.
Answered by David Lidington
Relations with the European Union are reserved to the UK Government and Parliament. In line with the Memorandum of Understanding and relevant concordats, the UK Government involves the Devolved Administrations as fully as possible in decision-making on all EU issues which touch on devolved areas. In the last few months the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), discussed the UK’s plans on renegotiation and referendum with the First Minister of Scotland, during his visit to Edinburgh; the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has spoken to Devolved Administration leaders in the margins of the recent British-Irish Council, and this is a regular agenda item at meetings between the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations. The UK Government will continue to involve Devolved Administrations as this process continues.Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the franchise for the proposed referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.
Answered by David Lidington
The franchise for the proposed referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union is a matter for the United Kingdom Parliament. I gave an update on the EU Referendum Bill to the Scottish Government and other Devolved Administrations at the Joint Ministerial Committee (Europe) on 15 June 2015. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), provided a similar update at the British-Irish Council on 18 and 19 June 2015.