Smoking: Northern Ireland
The question
To ask the Solicitor General, whether the Attorney General has had recent discussions with his Cabinet colleagues on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill’s legal compatibility with the Windsor Framework in relation to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Ellie Reeves
The Attorney sits on the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee. As part of the process of approving a government Bill for introduction, as set out in the published Guide to Making Legislation, a legal issues memorandum is prepared for this Committee. This will set out all relevant legal issues.
Whether the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice outside of the PBL process is covered by the Law Officers' Convention. This Convention provides that whether or not the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice, and the contents of any such advice, is not disclosed outside Government.
This protects the Law Officers’ ability as chief legal advisers to the Government to give full and frank legal advice and provides the fullest guarantee that government business will be conducted at all times in light of thorough and candid legal advice.
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