As I have announced already, the Government will bring forward
legislation that will repeal the Act of Parliament – the European
Communities Act 1972 – that gives effect to EU law in our country. This
legislation will, wherever practical and appropriate, in effect convert
the body of existing European Union law (the “acquis”) into UK law.
This means there will be certainty for UK citizens and for anybody from
the European Union who does business in the United Kingdom. The
Government will consult on how we design and implement this legislation,
and we will publish a White Paper tomorrow. We also intend to bring
forward several other pieces of legislation that address specific issues
relating to our departure from the European Union, also with a view to
ensuring continuity and certainty, in particular for businesses. We
will of course continue to fulfil our responsibilities as a member state
while we remain a member of the European Union, and the legislation we
propose will not come into effect until we leave.
From the start and throughout the discussions, we will negotiate as
one United Kingdom, taking due account of the specific interests of
every nation and region of the UK as we do so. When it comes to the
return of powers back to the United Kingdom, we will consult fully on
which powers should reside in Westminster and which should be devolved
to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. But it is the expectation of
the Government that the outcome of this process will be a significant
increase in the decision-making power of each devolved administration.
