The publication of the English Devolution Bill / White Paper is expected next week.

On Monday, Noah Law, the Labour MP for St Austell and Newquay asked a parliamentary question of Jim McMahon, the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, who was recently reported as stating that his preferred footprint for a “devolution deal” was “Devon and Cornwall.”

His latest utterance was interesting. The full text of the exchange was as follows:

Noah Law MP: “Given that the mayoral council and leaders’ councils are being contemplated as part of the English devolution Bill, what steps is the Deputy Prime Minister taking to ensure that Cornwall’s voice is heard in Westminster, after being subsumed for far too long?”

Jim McMahon (The Minister for Local Government and English Devolution): “It was a pleasure to meet my hon. Friend and colleagues to talk about devolution in Cornwall. He will know that we have agreed to a non-mayoral devolution deal for Cornwall as a first step. We recognise the distinct culture, history and identity of the Cornish people. This important step will allow us to unlock deeper devolution in Cornwall and, in time, we hope it will allow Cornwall to take its seat at the Council of the Nations and Regions.”

While the statement makes much of the insubstantial Level 2 devolution deal, which was about insubstantial tweaks to local government in Cornwall, it is to be welcomed that the Minister is talking about Cornwall as a political entity.