To All Parliamentary Clerks,
ROUND ROBIN GUIDANCE
1) The following question in a similar format has been tabled to a number of departments:
John Redwood (Wokingham) To ask…., how many EU Directives are awaiting transposition into
UK law.
RECOMMENDED LINES TO TAKE
Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union
and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the
Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation.
DExEU has included the line - There are 66 Directives awaiting transposition into UK law
before 29 March 2019.
Departments should respond in line with the above DExEU response and give their departmental
figure of outstanding Directives for transposition.
2) The following question in a similar format has been tabled to a number of departments:
John Redwood - To ask …., when the Government plans to cease to put new EU directives into
UK law.
RECOMMENDED LINES TO TAKE
Government policy and legal assessment remain to ensure full compliance with EU legal
requirements until the UK leaves the EU. This includes transposition of EU directives.
Departments to note
There was an additional written PQ sent to other departments (DEFRA, HMT, we are aware of)
asking about the new directives that are under negotiation.
e.g. John Redwood |Wokingham| To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs, how many new directives relating to his Department's responsibilities are under negotiation
in the EU. 1638
Departments should answer this factually while interpreting 'new' as any directives that have not
completed the relevant legislative process. The response should make it clear that the number
includes any directives currently under negotiation, including these that are intended to amend
existing directives in force.
For those departments which have a lot of EU business and where this would not be proportionate
to confirm the exact number they should:
- set out what policy areas the Department is responsible for (e.g., "BEIS is responsible for
measures relating to the single market, energy, consumer rights, labour markets, research and
innovation...")
- note that the Department provides Explanatory Memoranda to Parliament on any proposals
defined by the terms of reference of the parliamentary EU scrutiny committees, which can be
found online.
Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union
and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the
Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation.