Deputy First Minister has urged the UK Government to
"restore the democratic voice of the Scottish Parliament" by
repealing the Internal Market Act and providing full restoration
of powers that were removed by the previous UK
administration.
A Scottish Government Position Paper on the Internal Market Act
2020 published today says the Act should be repealed and replaced
with a system built around the Common Frameworks approach and
agreed by all devolved administrations and the UK Government.
Two votes in the Scottish Parliament, in October 2023 and
February 2025, have called for the full restoration of the powers
of the Scottish Parliament but have been ignored.
The new paper comes as the consultation period for the UK
Government's statutory review of the Internal Market Act
concludes. The UK Government specifically ruled out repealing the
Act before its consultation began.
Ms Forbes said:
“The Scottish Government's position is clear, we must see the
full restoration of the powers of the Scottish
Parliament. The Internal Market Act should be repealed and
the UK Government must work with the devolved governments to
deliver an agreed and workable alternative.
“The Act was imposed by the previous UK Government without the
consent of any devolved legislature. It remains the single
greatest impediment to more effective and respectful
intergovernmental relations.
“Neither the Scottish Parliament nor any of the other devolved
legislatures gave their consent to the Act. It has introduced
radical uncertainty as to the effect of devolved laws,
effectively introducing a far-reaching and unpredictable new
constraint on the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
“It also provides UK Ministers with an open-ended power
effectively to nullify laws passed by a democratically elected –
and accountable – legislature.
“It is deeply regrettable that the UK Government explicitly ruled
out repealing the Internal Market Act before it began the
review process and consultation but this new paper offers them an
opportunity to work with the Scottish Government to restore the
democratic voice of the Scottish Parliament.”
Background
Scottish Government Position
Paper on the Internal Market Act 2020
In preparing the Position Paper on the Internal Market Act 2020
the Scottish Government engaged with a wide variety of
stakeholders, including business and industry bodies,
environmental campaign groups, public health charities, farming
and crofting organisations, and academic authorities on the UK's
territorial constitution.
