This briefing summarises the main provisions in each part of the UK Internal Market Act 2020 and provides hypothetical examples of how the Act is likely to work in practice.
The UK Government laid the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill (284KB) on 9 September 2020. This followed a four week consultation on the Bill between July and August 2020.
The Bill received Royal Assent on 18 December 2020. A number of amendments were made to the Bill during its passage through the House of Lords. The Senedd and the Scottish Parliament did not give their legislative consent to the Bill.
The Act includes provisions:
- that set new rules on how legislatures and governments in the UK can legislate to regulate goods and services in future;
- on the regulation of professional qualifications in the UK;
- on the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland-Northern Ireland;
- to give UK Ministers new spending powers in devolved areas;
- and to reserve powers related to subsidy control.
Article by Nia Moss, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament
