THE country's leading medical colleges and public health experts have issued an serious health warning to Scots about Boris Johnson's post-Brexit internal market bill.
They have argued the proposals to create a single regulatory system across the UK would "potentially chill [Scottish Government] ability to pursue long-term policy objectives that are essential for the life and health of the Scottish population".
The submission to the consultation was made by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) which is a partnership of the Medical Royal Colleges in Scotland and the Faculty of Public Health and is based at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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SHAAP provides the authoritative medical and clinical voice on the need to reduce the impact of alcohol-related harm on the health and wellbeing of people in Scotland and the evidence-based approaches to achieve this.
"SHAAP is deeply concerned by the proposals outlined in the UK Government’s White Paper. In particular, we are concerned that the proposals, which seek to grant a 'justification' for devolved measures affecting the free flow of trade of goods and services throughout the UK only whe these measures aim to deal with 'public health emergencies', would fall short of the requirements, read by the Supreme Court in the Scotland Act 1998, that aim to ensure that the Scottish Parliament can legislate effectively in areas of its competence," it warned.
"It would set too high a burden on the Scottish government and potentially chill its ability to pursue long term policy objectives that are essential for the life and health of the Scottish population, as in respect of alcohol control and alcohol-related harm reduction."
The submission went on to recognise a need for some shared rules – pointing to exiting regulations on product requirements and consumer protections – but hit out at proposals for the UK government to create more far reaching uniform public health laws.
It added: "As a public health organisation, SHAAP is deeply concerned by the apparently wide scope of the commitment to frictionless trade in the UK Internal Market White Paper. In our view, the question should be not only about prohibiting direct and indirect discrimination, but also about recognising that the attainment of important public policy objectives is most effectively secured on the basis of an assessment of the needs of local populations."
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It comes after the Scottish Government warned the internal market bill will lead to “the democratic choices of the people of Scotland” being “undermined and overridden”.
Ministers in London claim Scotland is on course for extra responsibilities when Britain leaves the EU single market and customs union at the end of the year.
But as this could lead to different regulatory regimes in the UK the Tory Government has drawn up a trade bill to underpin the internal market.
At the heart of that is a “mutual recognition” mechanism. This would see regulations in one part of the UK recognised in all the other nations.
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