The assessment of the impact of Parts 1 and 3 of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill on building regulations in Scotland is as follows:

• Building regulations stipulate the performance to be achieved in buildings, rather than what goods, e.g. materials, must be used to achieve it. The market access principles only apply to requirements in relation to the sale of goods or to goods sold. We do not consider building regulations would fall into these categories. As a result, we do not expect Part 1 to have any impact on the operation of building regulations in Scotland. Note also that existing regulation is out of scope of the market access principles.
• On Part 3, we do not consider that the Building Regulations for Scotland contain provisions on professional qualifications, and therefore Part 3 of the Bill does not affect the operation of building standards in Scotland as a result.

The Government has no plans to limit Scotland’s existing competence in relation to building regulations.

By adding patent and trade mark attorneys to the list of excluded legal professions, we are putting them outside the scope of the recognition provisions of the Bill completely and seeking to preserve the status quo in relation to these professions and associated regulated legal activities. This brings them in line with the other legal professions excluded under Clause 25(6), in acknowledgment of the different legal systems of the UK.

Registered trade mark and patent attorneys are authorised to carry out certain reserved legal activities in England and Wales, more commonly associated with other legal professionals. By excluding the professions of trade mark and patent attorney from the recognition provisions of the Bill, we will prevent these provisions being used in a way that is not intended by the legislation governing trade mark and patent attorneys and regulated legal activities. This will ensure IPReg will continue to be able decide whether and how trade mark and patent attorneys should be allowed to carry out the regulated legal activities it is designated to regulate in different parts of the UK.

As trade mark and patent attorneys are currently regulated UK-Wide, we appreciate that accessing the professions or the associated activities may not be an issue currently. However, should the regulation of these professions change in the future, this amendment will ensure that they will not be impacted by the recognition provisions in the Bill.

UK Government Ministers and officials have been open to engaging with all devolved administrations following the publication of the UK Internal Market Bill on 9 September, with discussions held both before and after publication.

UK Government Ministers and officials have been open to engaging with all devolved administrations following the publication of the UK Internal Market Bill on 9 September, with discussions held both before and after publication. Further discussions are planned at Ministerial and official-level with all three devolved administrations as the legislative Consent Motion process continues.