UK Internal Market Bill and the Rule of Law

That the Parliament expresses severe concern regarding the publication of the UK Internal Market Bill (2019-21), which it considers to be in direct breach both of international law and of the devolution settlements of all constituent parts of the UK; understands that the Bill, which seeks to make provision in relation to the internal market for goods and services in the UK, on the recognition of professional and other qualifications, and on provisions in connection with the Northern Ireland Protocol, proposes changes to the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, which was negotiated and signed by both parties in 2019; further understands that the proposed Bill includes a section on a “mutual recognition regime”, which would require regulatory standards in one part of the UK to be automatically accepted in others, which it considers could mean potentially lowered standards of food, animal welfare and production quality across the UK; notes with dismay the reported comments by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the House of Commons on 9 September 2020 that the Bill breaches international law in a “specific and limited way”, and believes this to be completely unacceptable; considers the situation to be of the utmost severity with, it understands, senior UK Government officials, including the Permanent Secretary to the UK Government Legal Department, resigning over the decision by the Prime Minister to proceed with the Bill; notes the view that all governments must respect and follow the rule of foreign and domestic law; believes that the UK Government is bringing the institution that it represents into disrepute, and notes the calls on the UK Government to do what it sees as the right thing by the people of the UK and Europe, including those in the South Scotland region, and amend the Bill to bring it in line with international law, and with the devolution settlements of all parts of the UK.