WELSH secretary Simon Hart has rejected accusations that the UK Government has withheld information from the devolved administrations on EU trade negotiations.

Speaking in Parliament earlier today, SNP MP David Linden said: “Tomorrow is the day that the prime minister has set for his deadline for a trade deal with the EU.

"So far, the devolved administrations have been left out of the loop or deliberately kept in the dark on details.

"Does (Mr Hart) believe that withholding key information and detail at such a stage as this shows respect or disrespect for the devolved administrations?”

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Mr Hart responded: “I don’t recognise the accusation that (Mr Linden) makes given the number of meetings that I personally have been in with ministers from the devolved nations, let alone other colleagues.

“It would be a difficult charge to land to suggest that they haven’t been closely involved with the process right from the beginning and I suspect his comments are really based on the fact that he doesn’t like the reality of what’s going on, rather than (having) a legitimate comment to make.”

Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville-Roberts said: “Last week it was revealed that (Mr Hart’s) government had actively sought to conceal information from the Welsh Government. This information included the likelihood of food shortages and their intention to grab new powers. This doesn’t sound like intergovernmental parity.”

Mr Hart responded: “It seems to me astonishing that the party of Wales, represented by (Ms Saville-Roberts) is still so out of step with the people of Wales.”