DUP MP Jim Shannon - again on the issue of legal divergence - asks Heaton Harris: "Does the last word lie in this place? Or does it lie with the EU?"

Heaton Harris replied by saying that Parliament is sovereign.

However a short while later, DUP MP Sammy Wilson accused Heaton-Harris of "being at odds", adding that there was issues in areas such as

Sammy Wilson accuses Heaton Harris of "being at odds" in an argument he made, saying trade rules in Northern Ireland meant "this house has found itself subservient to EU rules".

Mr Heaton Harris responds bluntly to Wilson's point: "I'm afraid the honourable gentleman is wrong. Completely wrong."

As part of the legislation there will be an independent review of the Windsor Framework, ensuring it "operates on the basis of the broadest cross-community support", Chris-Heaton Harris says.

Alliance MP Stephen Farry asks for reassurance that the independent review will be “genuinely independent”.

Heaton-Harris says that it will, adding: “It will be for ministers to make sure the panel is completely independent.”

On the issue of divergence, MP Theresa Villiers - a former Northern Ireland secretary herself - asks Heaton Harris if the command papers say that there will be divergence from UK law in relation to veterinary medicines.

He replies that they are still searching for a solution on this matter, adding: "We want to set up a working group of experts on this subject and come to a solution."

A short time later, DUP MP Paul Girvan similarly asks about EU regulations, saying that 300 laws have already passed in Europe since Stormont collapse which are already in place in Northern Ireland.

Heaton-Harris says he's right, there is always a pipeline of EU law and that he knew first-hand the quantity of law that came from the EU. He says that if MPs had gotten to this point earlier then they may have been able to trigger the Stormont Brake and stopped some of those laws.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says that the NI Protocol “undermined the principle of consent” in the eyes of unionists, which he says is “at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement”.

He adds: “The new measures and legislation reset the balance so it is the principle of consent and the will of the people of Northern Ireland alone that will determine the future of our country as part of the United Kingdom.”

Chris Heaton-Harris adds: “The whole point of what we’re doing here today is to try to get government by consent back up and running in Stormont in the future.”

Heaton-Harris takes a question from DUP MP Sammy Wilson, who challenges him to outline "the vital democratic safeguards to guard against EU law, apart from the Stormont brake".

He says the Withdrawal Act, which took the UK out the EU, and the "place you're sitting in" - the House of Commons - act as safeguards.

The NI secretary has so far accepted several interventions from MPs in the chamber. One question asks him to outline what opponents of the deal have achieved, to which Heaton Harris says: "I have a piece of paper with it here, oh wait, it's blank."

"Nothing, absolutely zero," he adds.

Referring to Gregory Campbell's interview on BBC Newsline last night, he says a "postage stamp is too big" to write the list of achievements the opponents to the deal have achieved.

Chris Heaton-Harris says the political leaders of Northern Ireland have come together, adding: “I know when Stormont is up and running they will be able to deliver strong government.”

"What united the government and DUP was shared determination to strengthen our union," he adds.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood says the command paper undermines the Good Friday Agreement and questions whether the government has "moved away from the principle of rigorous impartiality".

Chris Heaton-Harris says the government is fully committed to the Good Friday Agreement.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris is laying the legislation out for MPs.

He says the deal is "designed to secure the widest possible support from people in Northern Ireland".

He adds that it's key to "strengthening the union and UK internal market" and that it will "affirm, strengthen and futureproof Northern Ireland's place within the union".

The debate on the Northern Ireland deal legislation has begun.

We'll have all the latest here and you can also watch live by hitting the play button at the top of this page.

John Campbell
BBC News NI economics and business editor

Part of what the deal is trying to do is a restatement of what the government sees as the economic benefits of the union.

"Insufficient attention has been paid to the vital importance of that economic union in the values and identities of many unionists in Northern Ireland," the command paper, published on Wednesday, states.

Aside from the new guarantees about the smooth flow of trade across the Irish Sea, the 76-page paper pulls together a variety of economic initiatives.

One of those has a long history: the attempt to get corporation tax devolved to Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland will also be getting an investment zone - this is a "levelling up" policy which provide grants and tax breaks to a region. It comes with grants and tax incentives of £150m compared to the £80m attached to zones in England.

Read more analysis here.

Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political correspondent

The secretary of state has taken his seat at the front of the despatch box ahead of the debate kicking off at about 12:15 or so.

It could last for as little as 90 minutes or up to three hours.

Westminster is well used to rushing through legislation linked to Northern Ireland and today is no different.

But the lack of scrutiny time allocated has been a bone of contention among some DUP and Conservative MPs.

Keep an eye out for any fireworks being fired across those green benches.

The details were kept a closely-guarded secret between the government and leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

But, yesterday, the 76-page agreement was published by the government.

It lays out several new measures aimed at simplifying domestic imports and encouraging trade between GB and NI.

But what exactly was in the document, entitled Safeguarding the Union, external?

BBC News NI economics editor John Campbell took a closer look here.

Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

If things go as expected, with the legislation passing through the Houses of Commons today, then the assembly members could be sitting in Stormont this weekend.

Some politicians, including Sinn Féin Vice-President Michelle O'Neill, have said they expect this to happen on Saturday.

The first order of business for members (MLAs) when they enter the assembly chamber will be to elect a new Speaker - this must happen before anything else.

Once the Speaker is elected, the parties entitled to jointly lead the executive - the body that makes decisions and policy in Northern Ireland - will make their nominations.

For the first time Sinn Féin will nominate a first minister because it won the most seats in the assembly election in May 2022.

The DUP, as the largest unionist party, will nominate a deputy first minister for the first time.

Although the first and deputy first ministers are joint offices and both hold equal power, Michelle O'Neill becoming the first-ever republican first minister of Northern Ireland will mark a symbolic moment.

Read more on what could happen next here.

Image source, Getty Images

It's been a busy few days for Northern Ireland politics so let's catch up on what's happened so far:

• Yesterday we finally saw the deal that is set to bring devolved power-sharing government back to Northern Ireland
• The document dubbed "Safeguarding the Union, external" - was unveiled by the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris and DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson
• The deal, which brings an end to the DUP's two-year boycott of power sharing, will reduce checks and paperwork on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland - you can read all about what's in the deal here
• The party announced it had endorsed the deal in the early hours of Tuesday, after a five-hour meeting of its executive
• Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says the agreement will end the Irish Sea border and that it meets the 'seven tests' used by the party to evaluate any deal - you can take a closer look how the deal measures up to those tests here
• However critics, including Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister, say that's not the case
• Parliament is expected to pass two pieces of legislation required by the deal, clearing the way for a sitting of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which could come as early as Saturday
• If that happens, then Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill will be set to become Northern Ireland's first republican first minister - you can read more about that possible moment of history here

Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The legislation to implement a deal aimed at restoring power-sharing in Northern Ireland will be debated by MPs just after midday.

The plan, external, published on Wednesday, will mean no routine checks on goods crossing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who negotiated it with the government, said that his party will return to Stormont if the legislation passes.

The DUP's boycott was in protest of the trade arrangements after Brexit.

It had demanded changes to the way goods are traded between Northern Ireland and Great Britain in order for it to end its Stormont standoff.

You can read more about what's happening today here.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage on what looks to be another important day in Northern Ireland's road back to devolved government.

After midday, MPs will debate new legislation agreed in a deal between the DUP and the government. The deal was published by the government, external yesterday.

If the legislation goes through, as expected, then it will clear the way for the DUP to end its boycott of power-sharing government in Northern Ireland and lead to its restoration.

We'll have all the latest from the debate at the Houses of Commons in the next couple of hours and you'll also be able to watch it live via the play button at the top of this page.