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Reconsideration of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill

Letter from Secretary of State For Scotland to Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery, 8 February 2022

John Swinney MSP

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery - Scottish Government

8 February 2022

Dear John,

 Thank you for your letter regarding further engagement on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.

I am pleased to hear you have considered and taken account of the Supreme Court’s judgment and that you are working on amendments to bring the Bill within the competence of the Scottish Parliament. As per my letters of March 2021 and the Written Ministerial statement I made in the UK Parliament in October, the UK Government is committed to engaging constructively with the Scottish Government to ensure relevant issues that may arise are addressed at the earliest possible stage. I therefore would be happy for UK Government officials to engage with Scottish Government officials to discuss your planned amendments to the Bill, and I suggest your officials get in touch with mine to take this forward.

I note that your letter also refers to further proposals which, based on what you have set out, could imply significant changes to the devolution settlement. While your officials are welcome to share more information on these proposals, I feel it is important to be clear at the outset that the UK Government’s position is that the current devolution settlement strikes the right balance, and that amendments to the Bill and any other proposals would need to be within the parameters of the devolution settlement as it stands.

I am copying this letter to Keith Brown and Shona Robison as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans And Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, Dominic Raab, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Deputy Prime Minister, and to the First Minister of Wales and the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland

Yours Sincerely

Alister Jack

The Rt Hon. Alister Jack MP Secretary of State for Scotland