A cross-party committee of MPs has united to call on the UK government to set out which agricultural powers will be devolved to Scotland after Brexit.
The Scottish Affairs Committee said that urgent action is needed to end the stalemate between the UK Government and devolved administrations over the EU Withdrawal Bill.
The deadlock over the Bill centres on what happens to powers in devolved areas such as farming that will return from Brussels to Westminster once the UK leaves the EU.
Indeed, the SNP government and UK government are clashing against the background of claims of a post-Brexit "power grab" of agricultural powers by Westminster.
But speaking following Prime Minister Theresa May's meeting with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Downing Street on Tuesday (21 November), a spokesman for the prime minister said there would be a "significant increase in the decision-making powers for the Scottish government and other devolved administrations" after Brexit.
Previously, Ms Sturgeon recently wrote to Theresa May seeking "urgent clarity" on plans for transitional power arrangements.
In terms of agricultural powers coming back from Brussels to Westminster, the First Secretary of State Damian Green has warned that farm "subsidy wars" between the devolved nations of the UK would be "counterproductive" and said there should be a single market across the UK.
'Serious concerns'
However, SNP chairman Pete Wishart said that the Scottish government has "serious concerns" about the impact the EU Withdrawal Bill could have on Scotland's devolution settlement.
He said: “The Scottish Government has been clear that it cannot recommend that the Scottish Parliament gives its consent to the Bill as it is currently drafted, but we were encouraged by the Secretary of State for Scotland and Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary's desire to resolve outstanding issues, and the level of agreement between the two ministers on many areas.
“We welcome the efforts which are being undertaken by both sides to achieve this. That said, we believe the Government needs to take urgent action to improve the Bill and provide greater clarity about the implications of this legislation for Scotland's devolution settlement.
“Central to our recommendations is the importance of agreeing a way forward with the devolved administrations, and securing consent in relation to future UK-wide frameworks.”
Scotland's Brexit minister Michael Russell said: “I welcome the committee's conclusion that any common frameworks must not be imposed by the UK Government but should be agreed between the UK Government and the devolved administrations, crucially as equal partners.
“Indeed the UK Government itself has now signed up to principles for discussing UK frameworks that respect the devolution settlement.
“As we have repeatedly said, we cannot recommend that the Scottish Parliament gives consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill as currently drafted."
