Written Statement: Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee – 26 June 2025

I represented the Welsh Government at the ninth meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee on 26 June 2025. 

The meeting was chaired by the Scottish Government Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, Kate Forbes MSP.  A joint communique will be published on .gov.uk in due course. The agenda enabled discussion of a range of issues including the industrial strategies; the statutory review of the UK Internal Market Act (2020); and the Sewel Convention and UK Legislation.

I welcomed the publication of the UK Government’s industrial strategy and the positive engagement that took place during its development. I also highlighted the need to work together on cross-UK implementation, to maximise its effectiveness, as elements of the strategy strongly align with regional and sector strengths across Wales. In addition, I offered the Welsh Government’s assistance in engaging with Welsh small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), trade bodies and the steel industry, and noted that it is important for central and local governments to collaborate in areas such as Investment Zones, Freeports, and AI Growth Zones. I noted that the Spending Review created opportunities for Wales in transport, defence spending, and city and growth deals. In this context, I emphasised that aligning our approaches and working in strong partnership would help to ensure that efforts aren’t duplicated and that the benefits are maximised.

As part of the discussion relating to the statutory review of the UK Internal Market Act 2020, I welcomed the UK Government’s engagement with the Welsh Government during the review. I outlined how the constructive suggestions made by the Welsh Government during the review were intended to bring Common Frameworks to the fore, ensure the effectiveness of devolved policy-making is protected, and maintain the smooth functioning of the UK internal market. 

In the discussion on the Sewel Convention and UK Legislation, I reiterated that putting Sewel on a formalised statutory footing would offer the greatest protection for the legislative authority of the devolved legislatures. I hope that the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) can provide an opportunity to take a step in the right direction on this, through giving a collectively agreed firmer underpinning to the practical operation of the Sewel Convention. In commenting in the meeting, I emphasised that the MoU should promote transparency at an early stage, enabling devolved legislatures to apply appropriate scrutiny to proposed bills. I look forward to further discussions with the UK Government and the other devolved governments on this over the coming months. 

The Welsh Government is due to chair the next Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee, which is currently expected to take place in September 2025.