Lords take evidence on inter-governmental relations in the UK
7 January 2015
The House of Lords Constitution Committee will take evidence from leading constitutional academics Professor Alan Trench, Professor Richard Wyn Jones, Professor Nicola McEwen and Professor Alan Page. This session forms part of the Committee's new inquiry, which follows the publication of the Smith Commission report on further devolution of powers to Scotland and the plans for further devolution to other parts of the UK.
- Parliament TV: Inter-Governmental Relations inquiry
- Inquiry: Inter-Governmental Relations in the UK
- Select Committee on the Constitution
Witnesses
Wednesday 7 January in Committee Room 1, Palace of Westminster:
10.45am:
- Professor Alan Trench, UCL Constitution Unit
- Professor Richard Wyn Jones, University of Cardiff
11.30am:
- Professor Nicola McEwen, University of Edinburgh
- Professor Alan Page, University of Dundee
Possible questions
Questions will focus on how current inter-governmental relations can be improved, as well as how Parliament can best scrutinise these arrangements.
In the first session the witnesses will be asked a range of questions relating to the UK as a whole as well as Wales and Northern Ireland. These will include:
- How effective are current arrangements for inter-governmental cooperation within the UK?
- What mechanisms exist to resolve disputes between governments?
- What improvements could be made?
- What at recommendations they would like to see taken forward from the Silk, Calman and Smith Commissions?
The second session will focus on Scotland in light of the Smith Commission’s conclusion that inter-governmental mechanisms between the UK and Scottish Government’s need to be improved as a 'matter of urgency'. The Committee will ask the witnesses:
- What changes might be made to the current mechanisms that govern relations between the UK Government and the devolved administrations?
- What lessons the UK can learn from overseas?