Summary
This is the European Union Committee’s twenty-seventh report on treaties, or international agreements, laid before Parliament in accordance with section 20 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRAG). It is the fifth such report prepared by the International Agreements Sub-Committee, which has taken on responsibility for scrutinising all international agreements laid before Parliament under CRAG.
We draw attention here to an overarching issue about how the Government’s Explanatory Memoranda (EMs) detail consultation with the devolved administrations. It is essential that the Government explain to us whether the devolved governments support an international agreement or have raised concerns about it.
This report addresses two Agreements, considered at the International Agreements Sub-Committee’s meeting on 25 November 2020, which we report for the special attention of the House:
- Agreement, done at Washington on 16 June 2020, in the form of an exchange of notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America on Technology Safeguards associated with United States Participation in Space Launches from the United Kingdom (CP 307, 2020); and
- Framework Agreement on Fisheries, done at London on 30 September 2020, between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Kingdom of Norway (CP 308, 2020).
This report also addresses a further Agreement, considered at the same meeting, on which we report for information:
- Framework Agreement on Fisheries between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Faroes (CP 317, 2020).