By Ben Kerrigan-
Emergency Welsh legislation could be introduced to prevent Westminster taking control of devolved powers after Brexit, the Welsh Government has said.
First minister Carwyn Jones says the proposed continuity Bill – the Law Derived from the European Union (Wales) Bill is not designed to “block Brexit” but a measure needed to prepare for a situation where the UK Government does not “adequately” amend its EU Withdrawal Bill “to respect the devolution settlement”.
The announcement comes the day after Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington urged Welsh and Scottish ministers to accept an offer from Theresa May’s administration to rewrite the flagship Brexit Bill to address their concerns.
The move has raised suspicions that the Scottish government will follow suit later on Tuesday after it asked parliamentary authorities at Holyrood to allow an emergency statement on the EU withdrawal bill at 4pm.
Ministers from both governments are urging British ministers in London to stop proposals that will unfairly empower the UK government after Brexit, and give them unjustified control over key policies such as farming, fisheries, and environmental protection. Their applied pressure comes at a time when the UK is at a crucial point in the series of challenging talks they have had with EU chiefs in the last year, some of which have produce deadlock, ridicule, division, and frustration.
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Both Welsh and Scottish ministers have opposed any granting of the UK Government’s EU Withdrawal Bill in its current form. The implication of EU responsibilities in devolved areas such as fishing and farming being initially transferred to Westminster is something neither of the two ministers wants to see happen.
Mr. Jones, who previously described the UK Bill as a “crude power grab” and an “attack on the founding principles of devolution”, said assembly members would be asked to consider the introduction of the continuity Bill as an emergency Bill.
Announcing the plans on Tuesday he said it would transfer EU law in areas already devolved to Wales into Welsh law on the day the UK leaves the EU, providing Welsh businesses with the legal certainty and stability they had called for.
“We remain constructive partners in talks with the UK Government about changes to their EU Withdrawal Bill – and this remains our preferred outcome,” he said.
“However, we are running out of time and have developed our Bill to prepare for a situation where the UK Government does not adequately amend its Bill to respect the devolution settlement.
“It would be irresponsible to refuse to give legislative consent to the UK Government’s Bill while also not being prepared to put in place our own measures to give clarity about EU-derived law in Wales relating to devolved matters.”
Mr Jones said his government was “simply seeking to protect the current devolution settlement for Wales” which had been backed by two referendums in 1997 and 2011.
He added:
“This Bill is about respecting the will of the people of Wales.”
Plaid Cymru welcomed the proposal, which was previously put forward by Plaid Cymru’s Brexit spokesman Steffan Lewis last year and received unanimous backing in an Assembly vote in January.
Simon Thomas AM said:
“The introduction of the Continuity Bill sends a clear message: Wales will not allow the Westminster government to run rough-shod over devolution.
“We will legislate to defend Welsh democracy.”