Member

Amendment 178 seeks to alter the statutory test that the Secretary of State must apply when making a decision on the devolution framework following a pilot scheme. The statutory test, which already applies to the decision on whether the pilot scheme has been successful, is already sufficiently robust. A more restrictive statutory test that demands evidence of measurable improvements and an independent evaluation could lead to a future Government being too cautious in expanding the devolution framework. Creating a higher bar for evidence would be an unnecessary additional safeguard when guardrails are already in place, and would risk cutting across the spirit of the Bill to make devolution more streamlined and straightforward. For these reasons, I ask the noble Baroness to withdraw her amendment and to read tomorrow’s Hansard thoroughly.