By Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland

IN JUST over four months’ time our Transition Period with the EU ends.

Farm businesses, workers and consumers across the  UK need certainty that, from January 1, 2021, they will continue to enjoy the benefits of an internal market that has made Britain tick for hundreds of years.

This is particularly vital for Scotland, as England, Wales and Northern Ireland account for a whopping 60% of our exports – trade worth over £50 billion annually.

The UK Government’s Internal Market White Paper, the consultation on which has just closed, sets out common sense proposals for legislation to protect and strengthen this most crucial of markets.

Without this, disruptive barriers to trade within the UK could occur, meaning more difficulty for Scottish farmers and other businesses to operate as freely as they do now within the UK. And higher prices for consumers, putting our coronavirus recovery at risk.

I was very pleased to see that key stakeholders, such as NFU Scotland, responded to the consultation, and I thank them.

We are now getting on with a thorough analysis of the submissions. But, without pre-empting that, a clear picture has emerged.

There is widespread agreement across a range of Scottish businesses, and farming and industry groups, that the UK internal market is vitally important for our economy – not least Scottish agriculture and our world-class food and drinks sector.

This gives me huge encouragement as we prepare detailed legislation to begin its passage through Parliament.

I’m more convinced than ever that it is right we take action to protect and strengthen one of the UK’s great assets.

Some in the NFUS have raised concerns, however, that our proposals could undermine devolution.

Read more - Internal strife over market rules and food standards

And so I want to reassure colleagues in Scottish agriculture that nothing could be further from the truth. Holyrood will gain scores of new powers when the transition period ends, and lose none of its current responsibilities.

I’d also like to reassure people of our commitment to avoiding damaging regulatory divergence within the UK by means of common frameworks, mutually agreed by the UK Government and devolved administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. We’ve made solid progress so far and I would urge the Scottish Government to continue to work with us to develop necessary UK-wide rules and guidelines.

The Scottish Government withdrew from discussions on the UK Internal Market last year, but bringing through this legislation is absolutely necessary to protect Scottish consumers and producers. I’m confident that with goodwill on all sides we will agree a system that works in everyone’s best interests.

However, setting common frameworks alone are not the solution to protecting the UK Internal Market.

Alongside our commitment to unfettered access for Northern Ireland goods in Great Britain, our proposed system of mutual recognition and non-discrimination will guarantee that all UK companies can continue to trade freely across the Union. This will provide a vital safety net if agreement cannot be reached on frameworks. It’s the guarantee that businesses need going forward.

Finally, I want to give a cast iron assurance on standards. We will maintain consistently high requirements in agriculture, environment and food standards and we will not sign any trade deal that compromises this.

Neither will our proposals limit Scottish Government powers to set standards in devolved areas. Our internal market plans will ensure the free flow of goods and services across every part of the UK, while upholding the devolution settlement.

That would be important at any time. As we recover and rebuild from the greatest economic shock in a generation it is nothing short of essential.

Read more - Scrap this unnecessary and damaging White Paper - Ewing