The Scotsman today reports that new committees involving ministers from the Scottish and UK Governments are to be set up to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings such as that which arose recently over the application to Abdelbaset Megrahi of the UK's new prisoner transfer agreement with Libya. The article reads in part:
"A new cross-border body is to be created to settle disputes between Holyrood and Westminster, The Scotsman has learned.
"Ministers are drawing up plans for a joint committee to arbitrate between the devolved administrations and the UK government on domestic matters.
"The move is intended to clear the air between London and Edinburgh, amid an increasing number of acrimonious disputes between the Scottish Government and the Labour administration at Westminster since Alex Salmond became First Minister last May.
"The most serious was in June last year when Mr Salmond accused Tony Blair, prime minister at the time, of ignoring the Scottish legal system by doing a deal with Libya over the possible transfer of the Lockerbie bomber to the North African country.
"And just this week, Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, provoked an angry reaction from Scottish ministers on two separate issues.
"First, Holyrood ministers called on Ms Smith to clarify her anti-terrorism plans amid warnings that the Home Secretary was preparing to trample on the Scottish legal system.
"Then she announced plans to deprive drug addicts of their benefits, without consulting the Scottish Government.
"Privately, Scottish ministers were furious about both incidents, believing that the Home Office pays little or no attention to Scots law and devolved issues when drawing up its policy plans."
For the full text of the lengthy article, see
http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Toplevel-meetings-will-open-door.3823911.jp
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