United Kingdom Internal Market Bill — Exclusions from Market Access Principles — 15 Dec 2020 at 15:00

The majority of MPs voted not to prioritise rules agreed by the four nations of the United Kingdom via the "common frameworks process" over the "market access principles" intended to ensure a free internal market within the United Kingdom and against additional exemptions from the "market access principles".

The majority of MPs voted against broader exemptions to the "market access principles" intended to ensure a free internal market within the United Kingdom, and not prioritise rules agreed by the four nations of the United Kingdom over those principles.

MPs were considering the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill[1][2].

The motion supported by the majority of MPs in this vote was:

  • That this House disagrees with Lords amendments 1F, 1G, 1H, 1K, 1L and 8M.

Lords amendment 1F[3] which would have impacted Clause 10 of the Bill stated:

  • "Page 7, line 23, at end insert—“( ) The Secretary of State must by regulations under subsection (2) exclude the application of the United Kingdom market access principles to a statutory provision or requirement that gives effect to a decision to diverge from harmonised rules that has been agreed through the common frameworks process.”"

Lords amendment 1G[3] which would have impacted Clause 15 of the Bill stated:

  • Page 9, line 27, at end insert—
  • “( ) “Common frameworks process” means the process, established by the Joint Committee on European Negotiations, by which a measure of regulatory consistency to enable a functioning internal market within the United

Kingdom may be mutually agreed between the United Kingdom and the devolved governments.”

Clause 10 of the Bill[4] provided for exclusions from the "market access principles" and Clause 15 contained definitions of terms used in that part of the Bill including Clause 10. Amendments 1F and 1G sought to prioritise rules agreed by the four nations of the United Kingdom via the "common frameworks process" over the "market access principles" intended to ensure a free internal market within the United Kingdom provided for in the Bill.

Lords amendment 1H[3] which would have impacted Clause 17 of the Bill stated:

  • Page 12, line 42, at end insert—

“( ) The Secretary of State must by regulations under subsection (2) add the services referred to in a statutory provision or requirement that gives effect to a decision to diverge from harmonised rules that has been agreed

through the common frameworks process to the authorisation requirements in Part 3 of Schedule 2 or the list of regulatory requirements, as the case may be, to which section 18 (mutual recognition) or sections 19 and 20 (non-discrimination) do not apply.

Clause 17 of the Bill related to the exclusions from the United Kingdom Internal Market for services. The rejected amendment would have required ministers to bring exemptions from the "market access principles" into line with rules agreed by the four nations of the United Kingdom via the "common frameworks process".

Lords amendment 1K[3] which would have impacted Clause 25 of the Bill stated:

  • Page 19, line 24, at end insert—
  • “( ) The Secretary of State must by regulations subject to the affirmative resolution procedure exclude the application of section 22(2) to a provision which has been agreed through the common frameworks process.”

Clause 25 of the Bill[4] related to exceptions to the United Kingdom Internal Market for professional qualifications and regulation. The rejected amendment sought require a minister to propose laws to Parliament providing for arrangements agreed by the four nations of the United Kingdom via the "common frameworks process" to be excluded from the general principles of the United Kingdom Internal Market.

Lords amendment 1L[3] which would have impacted Clause 27 of the Bill stated:

  • Page 21, line 19, at end insert—
  • ““common frameworks process” means the process, established by the Joint Committee on :European Negotiations, by which a measure of regulatory consistency to enable a functioning :internal market within the United Kingdom may be mutually agreed between the United Kingdom :and the devolved governments;

Clause 27 of the Bill[4] provided for the definition of terms used in that part of the Bill.

Lords amendment 8M[3] which would have impacted Schedule 1 of the Bill stated:

  • Page 48, line 47, at end insert—
  • “5A (1) The United Kingdom market access principles do not apply to, and sections 2(3) and 5(3) do not affect the operation of, any requirements which—
  • (a) make a contribution to the achievement of—
  • (i) environmental standards and protection, or
  • (ii) protection of public health,
  • (b) are a proportionate means of achieving that aim, and
  • (c) are not a disguised restriction on trade.
  • (2) For the purposes of subparagraph (1)(b), a requirement is considered disproportionate if the aim being pursued in the destination part of the United Kingdom is already achieved to the same or a higher extent by requirements in the originating part of the United Kingdom.”

This rejected amendment would have added a further, list of exemptions from United Kingdom Internal Market principles. These exemptions were broader than those already in the Bill.

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Debate in Parliament |

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Party Summary

Votes by party, red entries are votes against the majority for that party.

What is Tell? '+1 tell' means that in addition one member of that party was a teller for that division lobby.

What are Boths? An MP can vote both aye and no in the same division. The boths page explains this.

What is Turnout? This is measured against the total membership of the party at the time of the vote.

PartyMajority (Aye)Minority (No)BothTurnout
Alliance0 10100.0%
Con354 (+2 tell) 0097.8%
DUP7 0087.5%
Green0 10100.0%
Independent1 40100.0%
Lab0 193 (+2 tell)097.5%
LDem0 110100.0%
PC0 30100.0%
SDLP0 20100.0%
SNP0 470100.0%
Total:362 262097.8%

Rebel Voters - sorted by vote

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party. You can see all votes in this division, or every eligible MP who could have voted in this division

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
no rebellions

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