Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 4
First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland: Interim Report on Intergovernmental Working
Published 23 Jul 2020
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Coronavirus and Scotland All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Looking to the future, Ministers must outline, in response to this report, their plans for the coronavirus Cabinet Committees, [Covid-19 Operations Committee and COVID-19 Strategy Committee] and how those Committees will incorporate the priorities of the devolved nations. In view of the previous Scottish Affairs Committee’s report on intergovernmental relations, the Government must now commit to the following: (Paragraph 61) • That key decision-makers in devolved nations hold permanent seats on the COVID-19 Cabinet Committees; (Paragraph 61.i)) • That the COVID-19 Committees be staffed by officials with a deep understanding of all four nations of the UK. In particular, the secretariat must include officials from the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales and the Northern Ireland Office, as well as representatives of the Scottish Government (and other nations including Wales and Northern Ireland); and (Paragraph 61.ii)) • That formal mechanisms will exist to guarantee intergovernmental communications, including formal meetings between Ministers in devolved nations; officials in devolved nations; advisory services in devolved nations. (Paragraph 61.iii)) Coronavirus and Scotland: Interim Report on Intergovernmental Working 33
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland: Interim Report on Intergovernmental Working (HC 314), 23 July 2020
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 1 February 2021 (deadline 23 September 2020).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government responds to each recommendation in turn, setting out existing arrangements and some commitments, while saying it is "premature" to respond on the detail of the inquiry's terms of reference.
- On regular intergovernmental meetings, it says it "fully understands the importance of strong intergovernmental relations" and sets out current mechanisms, including regular meetings between the Prime Minister and First Ministers.
- It remains committed to concluding the Intergovernmental Relations review, and says the first quarterly report on IGR activity "will be published in 2021".
- On the economic support schemes, HM Treasury and HMRC have "committed to undertaking a detailed evaluation"; the Job Retention Scheme findings will be published "by the end of 2021".
- On the Shortage Occupation List, the government is "absolutely not rejecting" the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendations and "will consider whether to implement some or all" in immigration rules changes in 2021.