United Kingdom Internal Market Bill

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The United Kingdom Internal Market Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 9 September 2020.

Overview

The purpose of the Bill is to:

• make provision in connection with the internal market for goods and services in the United Kingdom (including provision about the recognition of professional and other qualifications);
• make provision in connection with provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol relating to trade and state aid;
• authorise the provision of financial assistance by Ministers of the Crown in connection with economic development, infrastructure, culture, sport and educational or training activities and exchanges; and
• make regulation of the provision of distortive or harmful subsidies a reserved or excepted matter

Lead Committee: Finance and Constitution Committee

SPICe briefing

SPICe has published a series of blog articles covering the UK Government’s August 2020 White Paper on the UK Internal Market:

• The UK internal market: what is it, do we have one and do we need one?
• The UK internal market proposals: a comparison with the EU approach
• The UK internal market proposals: intergovernmental relations

SPICe has also produced a full briefing on the Bill itself and a series of related blog articles, including:

• The UK Internal Market Bill – the Devolved Administrations responses.
• What might the Internal Market Bill mean for Scotland’s regulatory standards?
• The UK Internal Market Bill – a threat to the circular economy in Scotland?

Legislative Consent Memorandum

The UK Government has indicated that it intends to seek legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government published a Legislative Consent Memorandum on 28 September 2020. In the LCM, the Scottish Government confirms that it does not intend to lodge a legislative consent motion in relation to the Bill and sets out its reasons for this decision.

On 7 October 2020, the Scottish Parliament agreed a motion to refuse consent to the UK Internal Market Bill.

Consideration by Scottish Parliament Committees

Date	Document
8 July 2020	Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs to the Convener of the Finance and Constitution Committee, sharing his 3 July letter on the UK Internal Market to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
16 July 2020	UK Government White Paper setting out proposals for a UK internal market. A consultation period on these proposals ran until 13 August 2020.
12 August 2020	Briefing by the Finance and Constitution Committee’s Internal Market Adviser, Professor Kenneth Armstrong, on the concept of an internal market
12 August 2020	Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs to the Convener of the Finance and Constitution Committee, sharing the Scottish Government’s initial response to the UK Government’s Internal Market White Paper
13 August 2020	Finance and Constitution Committee’s Consultation Response to the UK Government Internal Market White Paper
22 September 2020	Briefing by the Finance and Constitution Committee’s Internal Market Adviser, Professor Kenneth Armstrong, on market access principles contained in the Bill
28 September 2020	Briefing by the Finance and Constitution Committee’s Internal Market Adviser, Professor Kenneth Armstrong, on UK Parliament amendments to the Bill
29 September 2020	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gives evidence to the Finance and Constitution Committee
30 September	Briefing by the Finance and Constitution Committee’s Internal Market Adviser, Professor Kenneth Armstrong, on the impact of direct and indirect discrimination under the Bill on Minimum Unit Pricing
30 September 2020	Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs gives evidence to the Finance and Constitution Committee
2 October 2020	Letter from the Convener of the Culture Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee to the Convener of the Finance and Constitution Committee on the UK Internal Market Bill
6 October 2020	Letter from the Convener of the Finance and Constitution Committee to the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster