Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Government Responsibility for the Union and Intergovernmental Relations

Thursday 27 October 2022 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 6 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Union is central to the Government's work and involves close collaboration with devolved Governments.
  • The Prime Minister has committed to working with devolved Government leaders and respects their mandates.
  • The Prime Minister has spoken to the devolved leaders of Wales and Scotland on his first night in office.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kirsten Oswald SNP
Northern Ireland Scotland Wales
Context

The MP is concerned about recent changes in Government responsibility for the Union and intergovernmental relations.

Question

What discussions has he had with representatives from the devolved Administrations on recent changes in Government responsibility for the Union and intergovernmental relations?

Answer from Brendan Clarke-Smith

The Union is at the heart of the Government's work, from securing UK-wide growth to establishing freeports and supporting the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Central to that is working closely with colleagues in the devolved Governments. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will be continuing that work in his new role.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not specify any specific discussions about changes in Government responsibility for the Union.

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Q2 Patricia Gibson SNP
Scotland Wales
Context

The MP criticises the previous Prime Minister's lack of engagement with First Ministers and questions how this Government can claim to be respectful.

Question

How can this Government claim to be respectful when the Prime Minister has pledged to circumvent Holyrood and undermine the devolution settlement even more than his predecessors?

Answer from Brendan Clarke-Smith

I remind the hon. Lady that the previous Prime Minister did meet with First Ministers at events commemorating the Queen. We have also heard that the new Prime Minister has already spoken to the devolved leaders of Wales and Scotland and has made a firm commitment to work with our devolved Governments and to strengthen our precious Union.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not address how the Government will show respect for mandates won by devolved Governments.

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Q3 Kirsten Oswald SNP
Scotland Democracy & Elections
Context

The MP questions the Prime Minister's legitimacy given his party's minority votes and lower percentage than that won by the SNP.

Question

Does the Minister agree that, as the Prime Minister was not elected, not even by his own party members, the cornerstone of renewed intergovernmental relations must be respect for the mandates won by the actually elected First Ministers of devolved Governments?

Answer from Brendan Clarke-Smith

I thank the hon. Lady for her question. As the Prime Minister made clear, we will continue to work with devolved Governments. This Government have a mandate from 2019. We also respect the mandates of the devolved Governments, which we will continue to do, including the mandate in Scotland from the independence referendum to remain part of this precious Union.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not address the legitimacy concern raised by the MP and focused on the 2019 mandate instead.

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Q4 Fleur Anderson Lab Putney
Northern Ireland Scotland Wales Democracy & Elections
Context

The MP is worried about the effect of this Government's changes on the Union and intergovernmental relations.

Question

Does the Minister please explain to the people of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland why this Tory Government treat our Union as a departmental tennis ball instead of defending and building on our strong Union?

Answer from Brendan Clarke-Smith

I take the hon. Lady's point but, of course, as we have said, the Prime Minister telephoned the leaders of the Scottish and Welsh devolved Governments on his very first night in office. If that does not show how much the Union is treated as a priority, I am not really sure what else can be done.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not address how the Government treats the Union and avoided explaining it being a 'departmental tennis ball'.

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Q5 Brendan O'Hara SNP Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
Ukraine Climate Democracy & Elections
Context

The MP is concerned about the lack of direct engagement from the former Prime Minister with First Ministers and questions if responsibility will now return to Downing Street.

Question

Does this mean that responsibility for the Union and intergovernmental affairs will now return to Downing Street, or will it stay with the Cabinet Office? If it does stay with the Cabinet Office, what does it intend to do with it?

Answer from Brendan Clarke-Smith

I remind the hon. Gentleman that the Prime Minister remains in charge of elements relating to the Union. More than 200 intergovernmental ministerial meetings took place between just January and September of this year, and the focus of those engagements was on issues including the Ukrainian conflict, delivering net zero, cost of living pressures, covid-19 recovery, freeports and myriad other matters.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not specify if responsibility for Union and intergovernmental affairs would return to Downing Street.

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Q6 Brendan O'Hara SNP Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
Democracy & Elections
Context

The MP questions the Prime Minister's legitimacy given his party's minority votes and lower percentage than that won by the SNP.

Question

Does he agree with what my hon. Friend the Member for East Renfrewshire (Kirsten Oswald) said: that a Prime Minister who was rejected by his own party members but subsequently put into office, unelected, by the MPs on the Government Benches, denying the wishes of the Scottish people in a free and fair election, is an absolute disgrace?

Answer from Brendan Clarke-Smith

Talking of free and fair elections is to undermine the tremendous democracy we live in and to show a lack of appreciation of what we have. The Prime Minister has continually referred to the result of the 2019 general election and mentioned his commitment to the 2019 manifesto we were elected on.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not address if the appointment was an 'absolute disgrace' as per the questioner's statement.

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