Oral Answers to Questions

Stuart C McDonald Excerpts

Wednesday 8th March 2017 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Stuart C. McDonald (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) (SNP)]

1. What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the process for triggering article 50.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Alun Cairns)]

I encourage the whole House to recognise that today is International Women’s Day. Events are taking place here in Parliament and across government.

I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union to ensure that our exit from the EU is a success. As members of the European Union Exit and Trade Cabinet Committee and the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations), we are committed to working closely with the devolved Administrations to ensure that exiting the EU has a fair and strong outcome.

[Stuart C. McDonald]

I join the Secretary of State in welcoming International Women’s Day.

At yesterday’s sitting of the Exiting the EU Committee, the Welsh Finance Secretary, Mark Drakeford, voiced concerns about the UK Government using Brexit to grab new powers over such things as farming and fishing, which should without question go directly to Cardiff and Edinburgh under the existing devolution settlements. Can the Secretary of State give a cast-iron guarantee that there will be no such attempt to undermine and row back on devolution?

[Alun Cairns]

We have already said that no decisions currently taken by the devolved Administrations will be removed from them. We will use the return of decision making from Europe back to the UK to strengthen devolution and the Union.