Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering Excerpts

Committee stage
Monday 6th March 2023 Lords Chamber

I hope that this provides noble Lords with clarity for the reasons behind taking the powers provided for in Clauses 12 to 14 and the scrutiny procedures that would be applied. I therefore hope that noble Lords will feel able to withdraw or not press their amendments.

[Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)]

My Lords, this has been a good debate. There is a body of opinion which is strongly opposed to the three clauses subject to the clause stand part notices, two of which are in this group.

I will express my personal disappointment. I am grateful to my noble friend for the replies that he gave, as far as they went, but I was told earlier by my noble friend Lady Bloomfield sotto voce that I could expect a reply on what the Government’s response is to the Scottish Parliament having withheld its consent. I thought that this was the group in which we would hear that. It echoes entirely the concerns about legislative consent Motions from the Welsh Assembly expressed by the noble Baroness, Lady Humphreys. Both the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly are concerned that their views are not being heard. I place that on the record.

I have no reason to doubt that my noble friend is right that there will be consultations. One of the Law Society of Scotland’s concerns, which I share, is that it is becoming an increasing habit of this Government to hold consultations over sometimes a 12-week period, and sometimes substantially less, and not publish the results in detail. For legislation such as this it is extremely helpful to know a little more detail. They would be published online anyway, so it is not as though people have to print it off at vast expense. The Government should not be afraid of publishing the results.

For the moment, without prejudicing what might happen at a later stage of the Bill, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment 102 withdrawn.