UK Government urged to publish Dunlop review of devolution

MPs have called for a review into the institutional arrangements between the UK Government and devolved administrations to be published immediately.

The review, led by former Scotland Office minister Lord Dunlop, was ordered by Theresa May in July 2019 following a perceived breakdown in the relationships between governments.

Despite being completed in autumn 2019, the Dunlop review is yet to be made public.

The chairs of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs, Scottish Affairs, Welsh Affairs and Northern Ireland Affairs committees at Westminster have written to Michael Gove seeking publication of the review and the government’s response by Thursday.

In the letter, they wrote: “As you know, our committees have been awaiting the publication of Lord Dunlop’s review and the government’s response to it for some time. It was therefore disappointing to learn that, contrary to earlier commitments, these would not be published before the end of 2020.”

Gove has been invited to attend a joint evidence session with the committees regarding the review and intergovernmental relations on 28 January.

The committee chairs, which include SNP MP Pete Wishart, added: “In order for this session to go ahead as planned, our members will require both Lord Dunlop’s review and the government’s response to be made public by 14 January.

“We would be grateful if you could confirm that the government will be publishing the review and the response within this timeframe.

“If you are unable to do so, we ask that you set out a clear alternative timeframe for publication so that we can arrange our scrutiny accordingly.”

Dunlop was tasked the consider “whether UK Government structures are configured in such a way as to strengthen the working of the Union and to recommend changes where appropriate.”

The review is reported to contain 40 recommendations, including the creation of a “Union tsar” and to move parts of Whitehall to the devolved nations, according to a Press & Journal report published last June.