That discussion has pretty much terminated, because the UK Government has not taken back any powers, and I cannot see any sign that it intends to do so. It got its fingers burned when it tried to do that with the initial European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.
Framework discussions are going on, and the indications are that they will mostly be non-legislative, for practical reasons. There are detailed discussions on agriculture and other matters, and there is a separate discussion regarding what the UK internal market involves, which could include agriculture. Surprisingly, those discussions are going on in parallel rather than coming together, and it seems that no decisions have been made.
We then have the question that has just been raised, which is about what will happen if there are international trade deals, as that is clearly a reserved matter. What will happen if there are implications for agriculture, which is devolved? We do not know the answer. A further discussion is going on about the participation—“consultation” would probably be a better word—of the devolved Governments in international trade deals, including a future one with the EU as well as those with third countries. Again, we do not know where that is going.
09:45
There is then the big question of money. Lord Bew’s report on agricultural funding is pending. Funding will be earmarked for agriculture, but we do not know how much detail there will be in that. It is really open. There are also questions about the WTO. In the Agriculture Bill, there is a power to determine how WTO rules will apply across the UK. The explanatory notes for that bill say that the UK Government is not too worried about what the Scottish Government is doing at the moment. However, that power is there.
I wish that I could give you a clear answer. All that I can say is that we thought that things would be clear by now but, as with so much concerning Brexit, we really do not know. That is why it is important that the committee and other Scottish interests keep an eye on the discussions as they go along. We do not know where the decisions will be made or what the implications will be.