Welsh Secretary confident ahead of talks with First Minister
The Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns has expressed confidence ahead of further talks with the Welsh Government on delivering a successful exit from the European Union.
The First Secretary of State Damian Green and the Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns will meet the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones for discussions on arrangements under the EU (Withdrawal) Bill for distributing powers returned from the European Union.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Cairns said:
The people of Wales want to make Brexit a success and both the Welsh Government and UK Government want the same thing - we want Wales to prosper and we want an agreement for the whole of the UK with the European Union.
The Welsh economy is fundamentally integrated with the rest of the UK so we must bring together the assets of all parts of the UK to win deals and secure trade agreements. Exiting the EU is a time when the nation needs to come together to secure the best deal for every part of the UK.
It is in nobody’s interest for there to be gaps in the law at the point where the UK departs the EU. Neither is it in anybody’s interest to create any new obstacles or costs inside the UK as we leave the EU. That means that there will be a need for a common UK approach in a number of areas. We have had constructive talks already and will keep talking - I am confident we can reach an agreement that works for all parts of the UK.