Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Bowie Excerpts

Thursday 15th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Walker]

It is absolutely clear that not a single power that the devolved Administrations currently have would be taken away or in any way affected by this Bill. We are talking about a significant increase in the powers, as they return from Brussels, for each of the devolved Administrations. I think that is something that all parties should welcome.

[Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)]

Yesterday, following the JMCEN, the First Minister of Scotland said of the Scottish Government:

“We can’t have our powers restricted or reduced”.

Does my hon. Friend recognise the irony in that, given that the only people who are willing to reduce the powers of the Scottish Parliament are those in the SNP, whose policy continues to be that those powers should remain in Brussels instead of coming back to the United Kingdom?

[Mr Walker]

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. I continue to hope that we will all be able to come together to ensure that the powers of each of the devolved Administrations are increased through this process and that we will all be able to work together to secure the prosperity of the UK—Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.