Government must do more to deliver vital UK common frameworks, Lords committee warns
Thursday 17 December 2020
The introduction of the UK Internal Market Bill has had a detrimental impact on the development of the common frameworks programme, with the programme experiencing major delays, according to the House of Lords Common Frameworks Scrutiny Committee.
In a letter to the Rt Hon. Chloe Smith MP, Minister for the Constitution and Devolution, the Committee outlines its views of the strengths and weaknesses of the common frameworks programme to date, highlighting that only two frameworks have been published in time for the Committee to complete its scrutiny process before the end of the transition period.
The Committee also emphasises the need to improve these frameworks by providing greater detail, particularly on the role of Northern Ireland and the implications of the Northern Ireland Protocol. In some cases the Committee has also found that frameworks were drafted without proper understanding of the UK Internal Market Bill, which has created uncertainty about how they will operate in practice.
In the letter, the Committee also voices its concerns about parliamentary scrutiny of Provisional Frameworks to date and that future scrutiny of these frameworks has not been considered, despite them forming a key part of UK policymaking after the end of the transition period.
The Committee suggests that future Provisional Frameworks should consider how they will facilitate ongoing scrutiny. They should also include plans for stakeholder engagement in their reviews and frameworks still in development should engage much more widely with stakeholders.
The Committee says:
“We believe that the common frameworks are an important programme of work and demonstrate the ability of the four governments to work together effectively across a range of policy areas. They are an innovative process that enable the functioning of a UK internal market, bringing together the four governments in common purpose, and provide certainty for businesses whilst managing potential divergence. However, legislatures are an essential part of this process and must be given the opportunity to conduct effective scrutiny of UK policymaking in these areas after the end of the transition period.”
