Written question asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated) on Monday, 12 March 2018, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 26 March 2018. It was answered by Lord Young of Cookham (Conservative) on Monday, 26 March 2018 on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

Devolution

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the competences currently held at the EU level will be distributed between the various countries in the UK after Brexit; and what impact this will have on the management of the devolution settlement and on relations between those countries.

Answer: The Government has committed that EU exit will result in a significant increase in the decision making powers of each of the devolved legislatures. The Government’s provisional frameworks analysis, published on 9 March, sets out where frameworks may and may not be needed in respect of the 153 policy areas where EU law intersects with devolved competence. It indicates that legislative frameworks will only be needed in a minority of areas. Moreover, our ongoing discussions with the devolved administrations suggest that within these areas, legislation may only be required in relation to specific elements, rather than the entire policy area. Constructive discussions with the devolved administrations continue.

Secondary information