Mick Antoniw MS, Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 requires the UK Government to report to Parliament periodically on matters relating to Common Frameworks and the UK Government’s use, if any, of powers under section 12 of the Act (the so-called ‘freezing powers’) temporarily to maintain existing EU law limits on devolved competence. I am notifying Members that the twelfth such report was laid in Parliament on 9 November 2021, covering the period 26 March to 25 June 2021.
The report outlines continued positive work on Common Frameworks, and confirms that the UK Government has not used the ‘freezing powers’. During this reporting period, Hazardous Substances (Planning) became the first Common Framework in the programme to receive final confirmation and be fully implemented following completed scrutiny by all four legislatures. The finally agreed framework was subsequently published on 31 August.
On 9 November the 2021 Frameworks Analysis Report was also published which sets out each of the 152 areas of EU law that intersect with devolved competence in one or more devolved administrations and developments in the Frameworks programme over the last twelve months.