Brexit: Legislating for the United Kingdom’s Withdrawal from the European Union

Debate between Baroness Royall of Blaisdon and Baroness Fookes

Thursday 30th March 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Lab)]

It is the turn of the noble Baroness opposite.

[Baroness Fookes (Con)]

My Lords, as chairman of the Delegated Powers Committee, I am pleased that the Government seem to be taking on board many of the recommendations we have made in tandem with the Constitution Committee, with which we are working closely. The most important from our point of view is the sunset clause—the time-limiting one—which deals, I think, with many of the worries people have about giving the Government extensive powers. May I take it a little further? There will be primary legislation dealing with other matters where we will wish to take a different approach and have a different policy. My guess is that there will be considerable delegated powers. I ask the Government not to take too much for granted. Our committee will have beady eyes on it all.