THE Scottish Government has hit back at David Mundell's claim they are blocking plans to publish the full list of powers returning to Scotland after Brexit.
Mundell, the Secretary of State for Scotland, has claimed that the Scottish Government's position on publishing the list is that "they don’t want to do that until the process is complete and they have signed it off."
The Herald reports that he said: “Given that they stoked up this power-grab row, which was not based on fact, it would have been helpful if we had been able to set out [the position] at the earliest opportunity…It would have demonstrated the position is not as it has been set out.
“However, this is a negotiation,” he concluded, adding: “I want to proceed with the maximum of agreement through that process and, therefore, I will respect their wish not to put it into the public domain.”
The comments follow the latest Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) meeting in Whitehall.
However a spokeswoman for the Scottish Government hit back, saying: “This suggestion is wrong; the UK Government did not say or even indicate at the meeting that it wanted to publish a list of the devolved powers it wants to transfer to Westminster.
"The Scottish Government's position is that all devolved powers currently exercised at EU level should remain devolved. We are seeking a change in the EU Withdrawal Bill that would ensure key policy areas such as agriculture, fisheries, state aid, procurement, food standards and environmental quality remain devolved in the event of Brexit.”
Mundell claims that most of the 111 powers and responsabilities currently devolved would remain so after withdrawal in March 2019, while some would be subject to a number of common frameworks.
A new bill to be published in the New Year may address some of the concerns over the move, which has been labelled a "power-grab" by the SNP.
Michael Russell, the Scottish Government’s Brexit Minister, insisted “time is running out” and the Scottish Government was “no closer” to agreeing that Holyrood should give consent to the Withdrawal Bill.
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