Lesley Griffiths AM, Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
I welcome the recent publication from the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which sets out the principles for inter-governmental working. This is a positive step in terms of advancing the relationships required to meet shared objectives of Governments across the UK.
As we prepare for our exit from the European Union it is clear, the development and implementation of future policy, particularly in areas which is a mix of devolved and reserved responsibility, requires governments to work together to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. This is particularly true in terms of our collective ambitions around decarbonisation and energy, the role we play in helping each other deliver against domestic targets and to realise the benefits of a transition to a low carbon society.
We are working to strengthen ministerial relationships between Welsh and the UK Government. Good progress has been made over the last two years in establishing a formal ministerial quadrilateral working arrangement between the Defra Secretary of State and the Ministers from other Devolved Administrations. More recently, we are working to build on the relationships we have with Ministerial colleagues in the Business, Energy and Industrial Sector (BEIS) Department of the UK Governmental to develop more formal arrangements.
On 28 June, following the British Irish Council Summit, the energy and climate change inter-Ministerial Group re-convened. I attended the meeting which was chaired by Chris Skidmore MP, BEIS Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation and Interim Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands and Officials from Northern Ireland.
Discussions centred on no-deal preparations, including our future trading relationship with the EU and how we work more closely to delivering our low carbon ambitions.
We agreed the UK Government would provide further assurances around energy security as a result of leaving the EU in October, officials would develop a programme of work to collectively prepare for Future Economic Partnership negotiations with the EU and a schedule of Ministerial meetings would be planned on matters of a shared interest.
Should members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this I would be happy to do so.