Call for full Brexit analysis

Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe Michael Russell has written to the UK Government asking for the sectoral analysis reports to be published online and for the full breadth of analysis to be shared with the devolved administrations.

The full text of Mr Russell’s letter to the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU is below.

We received yesterday the copies of the sectoral reports which you committed to sharing

with the UK Parliament earlier this month and are in the process of assessing this material.

Whilst we welcome the sharing of information we have concerns about both the manner in

which these reports have come to us, and their content.

The First Minister and I have both been clear that the UK Government’s analysis of the

impact of Brexit on sectors or the economy as a whole should be made public. It is essential

that people across the UK fully understand the consequences of decisions being taken about

their future. It is disappointing that the UK Government has persisted in keeping this

information from being publicly available and have shared with us only on the basis that we

do not release it into the public domain. I urge you to reconsider this approach, be up front

with people and publish these reports immediately.

Aside from the matter of publication, it is clear is that these reports do not contain any actual

impact analysis. They seem to be a collation of sectoral information, and as useful as that is

it fails to address the key need; to understand what assessment the UK Government has

made of the likely impact of its approach of leaving the Single Market and Customs Union

and what mitigating measures if any are being put in place to manage negative impacts.

I am therefore requesting that you share the full breadth of the analysis that the UK

Government has undertaken with the devolved administrations as a matter of urgency.

I am copying this letter to Damian Green, First Secretary of State; Mark Drakeford, Cabinet

Secretary for Finance and Local Government; and, David Sterling as the head of the

Northern Ireland Civil Service.

Yours Sincerely

MICHAEL RUSSELL