Amendments to be tabled without Welsh or Scottish agreement

Hope still remains a deal can be done but Parliament must examine changes

UK ministers will seek to amend their Brexit bill without securing agreement from Scottish and Welsh counterparts.

Whitehall, Holyrood and Cardiff Bay are deadlocked over how to handle the repatriation of responsibilities from Brussels, with the devolved administrations accusing Theresa May’s Government of a “power grab”.

Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington said he hoped a deal could be done with Wales and Scotland but it was time for Parliament to examine the proposed changes.

The Cabinet Office said the amendment will mean that all EU powers that “intersect with devolved competencies” will go directly to Holyrood and Cardiff Bay.

But there would be a provision for the UK Government to maintain a temporary “status quo” arrangement over a small number of returning policy areas where an agreement for a UK framework had not been reached in time for Brexit.

Scottish Government Brexit Minister Mike Russell said there was a “very substantial power grab” being contemplated by Whitehall.

“It was deeply disappointing that the UK Government did not bring forward any new proposal today and are pressing ahead with a bill that, even with their proposed amendment, would allow them to unilaterally take control of devolved powers without the agreement of the Scottish Parliament,” he said.

But Mr Lidington, who chaired a meeting of ministers from the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, said he was putting forward a “significant proposal” to address concerns on the controversial Clause 11 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill currently going through Parliament.

He said: “While I remain hopeful that a deal can still be done, we have a longstanding commitment to Parliament to bring forward an amendment and will now table it – as discussed with the devolved administrations.

“The UK Government has a proven track record on devolution, our amendment is reasonable and we have moved a considerable way on it.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones are due to hold talks with the Prime Minister next week.

Both the Scottish and Welsh governments have produced plans for continuity bills as a fallback option to deal with legal uncertainties caused by Brexit if they cannot agree to consent to the UK Government’s legislation.

“The UK Government has a proven track record on devolution.

DAVID LIDINGTON CABINET MINISTER