The Prime Minister has been clear that she wishes to
minimise disruption to businesses and individuals as the UK leaves the EU. That
is why the Repeal Bill is being introduced and why I support it. This bill will
transfer EU law, including the case law of the European Court of Justice, into
UK law at the point of the UK's departure from the EU. This will make sure that
the UK has a functioning statute book when it leaves the EU and it will provide
the maximum amount of certainty, control and continuity.
The Bill will also give ministers in the UK Government
and in the devolved administrations a temporary power to make legal corrections
to transposed EU legislation. This will be time-limited to two years after exit
day. Parliament or the devolved legislatures will also be able to scrutinise
any statutory instrument made under this power. I must emphasise that the power
could only be used to make corrections to transposed law, for example, by
removing references in transposed EU law to the UK as a member state of the EU.
The Bill is not a vehicle for major policy changes.
Workers' rights, consumer protection and environmental
laws will not change and businesses will benefit from this certainty.
Parliament will, of course, be free to keep, amend and repeal laws as it sees
fit after this date. There may also be some laws which no longer operate as
intended and the bill will provide the power for corrections to be made so that
the UK legal system can continue to operate.
The Government also wants to ensure that power is
returned as close as possible to communities as laws are returned to the UK. I
expect that there will be a significant increase in the decision making powers
of the devolved administrations but I want this approach to work coherently for
the whole of the UK.
I can also assure you that the UK will leave the EU on 29
March 2019 and that this means leaving the single market and the customs union
at that point. The single market and the customs union are the main and
essential elements of the EU. To remain in either would mean not really leaving
the EU at all. Leaving these will ensure that the referendum result is
respected in full and that the UK has more control over the issues you mention.
There will, of course, be an implementation period as we
leave the EU. A cliff-edge for business and individuals would not be in
anyone's interests. But make no mistake: this will not be of unlimited
duration. This would not be good for the UK or the EU.
