The Interministerial Standing Committee (IMSC) met for the seventh time on 3 December 2024 via video conference. The meeting was chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, the Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP.

The other attending ministers were:

From the UK Government: Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security, the Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP; Secretary of State for Wales, the Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP; and Secretary of State for Scotland, the Rt Hon Ian Murray MP.

From the Scottish Government: Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, Kate Forbes MSP.

From the Welsh Government: Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies MS.

From the Northern Ireland Executive: First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA; and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly MLA.

The Committee opened with an introduction and welcome to those Ministers representing their governments for the first time. Ministers took note of Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat information shared on the intergovernmental relations structures that IMSC forms part of, and its role within those structures. Ministers agreed that the top tier structure would meet routinely alongside the biannual meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions, with additional meetings of the top tier taking place as required.

The Committee then turned to a discussion on resilience and the different governments responses to Module 1 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry Report, including opportunities for joint working to align approaches to enhance future resilience and preparedness. The importance of ongoing Ministerial engagement on these issues was raised.

The Committee discussed an update on the Common Frameworks Programme, pushing towards conclusion during 2025. Ministers discussed the importance of applying the Common Frameworks principles to enable joint work in good faith. Ministers emphasised that agreement on the approach to the Windsor Framework text in the context of Common Frameworks would be a priority.  The importance of an effective Internal Market Act exclusions process to support the operation of Common Frameworks was raised.

The Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security provided an update on the new UK Government’s approach to the management of the UK Internal Market Act (2020) and confirmed an initial package of measures from the UK Government. He confirmed the statutory review process due in 2025 would be expanded and delivered earlier than required. The committee discussed devolved governments’ views of the effect of the Act on devolution settlements and agreed that the UK and devolved governments should work together as the Act undergoes statutory review in 2025. 

A planned agenda item on the Sewel Convention and UK legislation was not discussed due to time constraints.

The IMSC will meet again in February. Ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive are scheduled to chair.