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UK and Scottish ministers in Brexit powers talks No agreement in latest Scots-UK Brexit powers talks
(about 3 hours later)
The possibility of releasing additional powers to Holyrood after Brexit is being discussed in talks between the UK and Scottish ministers. The latest talks between the Scottish and UK governments about the repatriation of powers after Brexit have concluded with no agreement.
First Secretary of State Damian Green is meeting Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Scotland's Brexit Minister Michael Russell in Edinburgh. First Secretary of State Damian Green met Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Scotland's Brexit Minister Michael Russell in Edinburgh.
The Scottish government has warned of a Westminster "power grab" over fishing, farming and the environment. The Scottish government fears a "power grab" by Westminster, but UK ministers insist there will be more devolution.
UK ministers insist many new powers will be given to Scotland. Mr Russell said the latest talks were "useful", but had not changed anything.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell, who is also at the talks, has previously spoken of a powers "bonanza" for Holyrood. He said the Scottish government remained "absolutely clear" that it could not recommend Holyrood give its consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill in its current form.
Under the UK government's Repeal Bill, EU law repatriated from Brussels would go to Westminster in the first instance. Both sides confirmed there will be further talks in the coming weeks.
Ahead of Wednesday's talks, Mr Green said a common UK-wide approach would be necessary in some areas. 'Naked power grab'
But he added: "There will be other areas where I intend that the Scottish and UK governments can make progress in identifying policy areas that could be released to Holyrood under the new legislative arrangements. The key concern for Scottish ministers is what happens to powers over agriculture, fishing and the environment which are devolved, but currently exercised in Brussels.
"We expect there will be a significant increase in the decision-making power of each devolved administration and we want to address this in a way which delivers certainty and continuity for people and businesses across the UK." First Minister Nicola Sturgeon united with her Welsh counterpart Carwyn Jones to describe the current proposals, which would see powers repatriated to Westminster in the first instance to set up a common UK framework, as a "naked power grab" from the devolved administrations.
'Fundamental attack' Scottish Secretary David Mundell, who was also at the talks, has previously spoken of a powers "bonanza" for Holyrood.
The Scottish government remains sceptical, with Michael Russell arguing the Repeal Bill represents "a fundamental attack on the principles of devolution". Following the meeting, Mr Green said he thought the talks were "good".
He told the BBC: "I've been involved in these discussions for almost a year now and we've made no progress at all. Because although the UK ministers say that all the time, they don't go even a quarter of an inch towards the devolved administrations. He said: "Obviously there are issues on which the UK government and the Scottish government place a different emphasis.
"Scotland didn't vote for Brexit, we are very sceptical about it, but we have said repeatedly 'let's work together to get the best solution'. "But we agreed that we need to work first of all on the principles.
"John Swinney and I will be very positive this afternoon, but we need to see steps by the UK to actually involve us. We never saw the Article 50 letter. We never saw the White Paper. We're now not seeing essentially the material that's going through the negotiations, although we've been promised it at every stage of the way. "We agree that we want to give more powers at the end of this process to the Scottish government and the Scottish parliament and we agree that keeping free trade within the UK to enhance the prosperity in Scotland and the rest of the UK has to be a really important outcome of Brexit."
"It's time to make good the promises." Asked about the "power grab" claims, Mr Green said: "I hope as these talks go on we will be able to convince them that there is absolutely the opposite of the intention of a power grab.
Mr Russell said the UK government had "effectively unilaterally abolished" the joint ministerial committee forum for talks between the governments over Brexit, as the key committee has not met since February despite pledges to meet monthly. "We want more powers to come to the devolved administrations. That has to be done in the context of keeping free trade within the United Kingdom, but we've agreed more talks in a few weeks' time."
'Significant crisis'
Mr Russell agreed the talks were "civilised", but said he had left UK ministers in "no doubt" that the Scottish government could not accept the "impractical and unworkable" legislation.
He told BBC Scotland: "The Scottish government wants to move forward on this issue with the UK government. We've made it clear we don't believe Brexit is the right thing but we've agreed to work with them and we've tried to do that from the beginning.
"But we can't do it on the basis of undermining the Scottish Parliament, we can't do it on the basis of taking powers away from Scotland.
"But we are willing to listen, and that's why a positive outcome of this was another meeting, proposed by the first secretary [Mr Green] to bring us back together and we hope at that meeting they will come forward with some concrete proposals about issues."
Asked about his position on the Withdrawal Bill, Mr Russell said: "Right now, the recommendation of the Scottish government will make will be to say that we could not approve this bill.
"It's not a veto, and the UK government will be aware of that. But it would deepen what is already a very significant crisis in my view, if they were to overrule the Scottish Parliament."