MSPs have begun a new phase of an inquiry into post-Brexit scrutiny with a call for evidence on future rules over business, agriculture and the environment that could be established across t he four nations of the UK once it has left the EU.
The move signals the start of preparatory work by the Finance and Constitution Committee ahead of common frameworks being drawn up.
“This phase in our constitutional scrutiny is incredibly important, as common frameworks will determine how a range of policy areas work across the UK and devolved nations, whether it applies to business, agriculture or the environment,” said committee convener Bruce Crawford.
“What’s also incredibly important is that the very process of developing common frameworks is likely to give us an early indication of the effectiveness of relationships between the UK Government and devolved institutions.”
He added that the committee had already commissioned international comparative research on how similar policy frameworks operate across different parts of Europe, Canada and Australia and called for academics and policy experts to come forward with their ideas.
“It’s hard to overstate the importance of effective parliamentary scrutiny in this next phase of our work,” he said.
The committee recognised in its interim report on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill that “significant further work is required in relation to the scrutiny of developing and agreeing common frameworks”.
It identified areas that required more examination including what should replace the current EU policy-making processes across the UK, how the frameworks should be implemented, monitored and enforced, and what impact they could have on negotiating international trade deals, where other countries such as the US and Australia have different standards on, for example, animal welfare.
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