Commenting on the priorities outlined in Wednesday’s Queen’s Speech, Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK said: ‘For us there were no real surprises in the eight Bills which are being brought forward to deal with Brexit. The Isle of Man Government has been planning for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and assessing how this might impact on us, since well before last year’s referendum.
‘Although there is still much more detail to emerge, we are as well prepared as we can be at this stage. We have undertaken a huge exercise to set out all of the areas where EU law impacts on our own statute book. This has meant closely examining hundreds of Acts, Orders and Regulations, as well as thousands of EU instruments which currently have effect in the Island through Protocol 3.
‘We are also working closely with several UK Government Departments to set out how the Island will be affected by the withdrawal process and the new UK/EU relationship. This includes assessing the impact of the UK’s legislative proposals on us, and how we will respond to them in our own law.’
The Chief Minister explained: ‘I want to be as open as possible with politicians, businesses and the public about the legislative changes we will be proposing. Detail on these will be made known early in the next parliamentary year.
‘The Isle of Man will need to consider, as a priority, legislation in relation to the Repeal Bill, immigration, and customs. Changes are also likely to be required in respect of agriculture and fisheries. In addition, we will have the option to request the extension of the new UK International Sanctions Bill to the Isle of Man. In order to assess the relevance of the Bills on Trade and Nuclear Safeguards, the content and scope of these will need to be examined once they are published.’
The Chief Minister concluded: ‘Brexit is going to be a complicated process. As we have known from the outset, there will be significant challenges. But in ensuring that we are as prepared as well as we can, and by keeping engagement at political and official level open, we are working to achieve the best possible outcome for the Isle of Man.’
