but here s the issue. gender recognition is a devolved power, equality legislation across the british isles is a reserved power. the government says the two are in conflict and regret taking this step .. this is not about preventing the scottish parliament from legislating in devolved matters. but about ensuring that we do not have legal frameworks in one part of the united kingdom which have adverse effects on reserve matters. i hope we can work together to find a constructive way forward, that both respects devolution and the operation of the uk parliament legislation and i commend this station to the house. but this goes beyond the hotly debated issue of gender. in essence westminster has vetoed scottish law. it goes to the root of the devolution settlement. and the scottish first minister says it is a direct attack on the institution of the scottish parliament. i can say categorically the scottish government will vigorously defend this
it just yet. because they are not committing to itjust yet. the next up for the labour leaders present and past, edinburgh, to set out their plan to give scotland more powers as an alternative to independence. chris mason, bbc news. leeds. let s stop might talk to our scotland correspondent james shaw who is at holyrood in edinburgh. there is a lot in this document, including more powers for scotland, which labour is obviously hoping will encourage people away from the idea of independence. there are a number of proposals that relate specifically to scotland. the idea they would try to entrench the powers of the scottish parliament to prevent a future uk government from chipping away at the devolution settlement. then the idea that the scottish government would be able to enter into international agreements tojoin international enter into international agreements to join international bodies, although that would not include the eu. the idea of directly elected
believes to be a more vigorous examination of the statistics in scotland to do with public services. the scottish government would oppose that, they would say that their statistics are very rigorous in the first place, and i think they would see that as eating into the devolution settlement. so it s a very tricky relationship going forward. they do have to work together, and putting this phone call, making this phone call, one of the first he has done in his first few hours in office, it is a reset of communications, if not in terms of communications, if not in terms of the very fundamental differences, not least the idea of a second independence referendum. thank you very much indeed. let s go back to nick eardley, still in downing street. he s been reporting on the first cabinet meeting, but i suppose now rishi sunak s attention is turning to his first prime minister s questions in just over an hour?