Call for Brexit analysis to be made public

Following the leak of the UK Government’s impact analysis of Brexit the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe Michael Russell has written to Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis to say the Scottish Government will release the analysis if it receives it.

Full text of the letter below.

31 January 2018

Dear David

I refer to the commitment by Robin Walker MP in the House of Commons to making available to Members of Parliament copies of the UK Government’s “EU Exit Analysis, Cross Whitehall Briefing” as described by Buzzfeed on 29 January 2018. 

Mr Walker made it clear yesterday afternoon that the UK Government does intend to make this information available to the devolved Administrations, as you did with the previous reports following my representation. I welcome this.  Mr Walker further clarified that it would be a matter for the devolved Administrations to ensure that such documents are handled with appropriate confidentiality, but would have no objection in principle to their being shared with Members of the devolved legislatures on the same basis as was previously shared with MPs.

As you are aware the Scottish Government considers that the public have a right to know the impact on jobs and living standards of the UK Government’s decision to pursue the UK’s exit from the EU and therefore that this analysis should be made publicly available.  Further, this is not our analysis and we do not see it as our responsibility to make arrangements on confidential handling.  I want to be clear that if you send the analysis to us we will make it public.

I am copying this letter to David Lidington, Minister for Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; Mark Drakeford, Cabinet Secretary for Finance; and, David Sterling as the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.  

Michael Russell