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The Scottish Government has participated in good faith in the Common Frameworks process since 2017. The frameworks process, which is designed to manage policy differences on the basis of agreement and which is founded on respect for devolution, is all that is needed to manage the practical regulatory and market implications of the UK leaving the EU. Frameworks are clear evidence that, as well as posing a significant threat to the devolution settlement, the UK Government’s Internal market proposals are completely unnecessary.

Significant progress has been made on delivering frameworks. Although the current public health crisis has impacted on joint work by the UK Government and the devolved administrations to deliver frameworks, the four administrations have agreed a revised delivery plan which will ensure that there are full or provisional frameworks in place across all relevant policy areas by the end of the transition period. It is now the intention of the four administrations that seven frameworks, six of which relate to Scotland, will be agreed and implemented by the end of December 2020, with provisional frameworks being established in the 25 remaining policy areas. Provisional frameworks will consist of a framework outline agreement and accompanying concordat, including essential arrangements required for the framework to operate at the end of the transition period. The development and agreement of provisional frameworks will be on the same basis as full frameworks, requiring adherence to the principles for common frameworks set out by JMC (EN) and including technical scrutiny with stakeholders and engagement with legislatures. Work to finalise provisional frameworks as full frameworks will continue during 2021.

Technical stakeholder engagement for several of the frameworks is currently taking place and progressing well, ensuring that stakeholders are able to feed into the development of frameworks.

Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with Committee Clerks to provide updates on Common Frameworks development, agree process and a timetable for parliamentary scrutiny. Scottish Government officials are discussing with Committee Clerks the expected level of parliamentary scrutiny for each framework and will ensure that lead Committees also receive a summary of each provisional framework and an update on its progress before the end of 2020. Two frameworks, the Nutrition Composition, Labelling and Standards Framework and the Hazardous Substances (Planning) Framework, will be shared with the relevant lead Committees shortly.

A full list of the Common Frameworks by lead Committee can be found in my letter to the Finance and Constitution Committee on 11 August , which set out the Scottish Government’s initial response to the UK Government White Paper on the Internal Market.