House of Commons
Parliament

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom tells MPs it's necessary for delegated powers to allow ministers to make adjustments as new gaps between UK and EU law emerge.

She reminds MPs secondary legislation are a common feature of bills, and are scrutinised by various committees.

There's "nothing wrong or unusual" with the Henry VIII powers in EU Withdrawal Bill, she says.

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz says of the Brexit process, "the whole thing is unravelling".

She claims of the EU Withdrawal Bill, "never before have ministers been given these unfettered powers".

She also accuses the government of wanting to "fix" the standing committees instead of "respecting" the fact it doesn't have a majority.

House of Lords
Parliament

Business in the House of Lords kicks off at 11am today.

The usual half hour of oral questions will today cover children in care, university pension schemes, Brexit negotiations and Bell Pottinger.

Two debates take up the rest of the days business.

The first on overcrowding in UK prisons, the second on improving digital understanding.

House of Commons
Parliament

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom tells MPs that she's laid a motion which will enable select committees to resume their work next week.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch tells MPs that the purpose of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill is to provide continuity.

"A vote against the bill is a vote for chaos and uncertainty," she says.

David Davis agrees and accuses the opposition of characterising the bill as one of change rather than continuity.

House of Commons
Parliament

"We have a very, very short time to complete all manner of agreements," says Conservative Anna Soubry.

She urges the government to consider the "Norway for now" model for a transition arrangement until a final agreement is reached.

David Davis argues that the best transition arrangement would be one based on what the UK currently has.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative Lucy Frazer notes that Michel Barnier has said it would not be fair for EU taxpayers to pay for British obligations.

She asks if its is fair that UK taxpayers pay for EU obligations where they may not be benefiting from subsidy schemes.

David Davis says the negotiating team is challenging the EU on those points and that at the end of negotiations "we will make decision about political and moral responsibilities".

House of Commons
Parliament

Lib Dem Leader Vince Cable asks what assurances can be given to financial services facing the uncertainty of three successive rule books- "single market, post single market transition and post transition agreement".

David Davis replies that this is why the government wants "a single transition, not two different transitions".

The aim of the transition, he explains, is to give businesses time to adjust.

House of Commons
Parliament

Chair of the Brexit Committee Hilary Benn asks if the UK will continue to make payments to EU budgets during the transitional arrangement.

"This must be the twentieth time I’ve said this. I’m not going to negotiate from this dispatch box and he should know that," replies David Davis.

Transitional arrangements are there to avoid a cliff edge, he adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The SNP's Hannah Bardell seeks assurance that the government will not walk away from negotiations without a deal.

She notes that the CBI President has said not getting a deal would be akin to "opening a Pandora's box of economic consequences" and lead to 90% tariffs on EU exports.

"The government will do what is in all our interests," replies Brexit Minister Steve Baker.

He adds that the government cannot accept "some kind of punishment deal" and that an environment where the UK controls "our own taxes, tariffs and regulations is an environment of which we should not be afraid."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative Theresa Villiers asks the minister to reiterate the government's commitment to settling the question of EU nationals and "giving them the stability they need in terms of securing their rights".

That includes keeping families together, she adds.

Brexit Minister Robin Walker says the government's white paper made a "fair and serious" offer to maximise certainty for EU nationals living in the UK.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer notes that David Davis has said transitional arrangements should be as close as possible to the current arrangements but also that the UK would leave the single market and customs union.

Both can't be true, he says, and asks what form of transitional arrangements will take.

David Davis says transitional arrangements will give businesses time to adjust to Brexit.

He then quotes an article summarising Labour's position: "Tell leavers you wants to leave; tell remainers you want to remain."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

...and Labour's Stephen Kinnock is first up.

He asks if there are plans to allow the House to vote on continued UK membership of the EEA (European Economic Area).

The EEA agreement grants certain countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) near-full access to the European single market. In return, they are subject to obligations from EU legislation in relevant areas and have to accept free movement of people.

Brexit Secretary David Davis replies that when the UK leaves the EU it will automatically leave the EEA.

He adds the government is still considering what steps need to be taken to formally confirm withdrawal from the EEA in international law.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, European Photopress Agency

Today promises to be a very Brexity day in the House of Commons.

To get started the day begins with an hour of questions to the Brexit Secretary David Davis and his team. Then it's a chance for Andrea Leadsom, the Leader of the House, to lay out the business for the week ahead.

Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan will then make a statement on Hurricane Irma.

This is followed by the main event of the day - the second reading of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.

Respite from all things Brexit comes in the form of Bob Blackman’s adjournment debate – a debate on Hive Stadium and the sale of public assets.

It all kicks off at 9:30.

Welcome to an historic day at Westminster, as MPs prepare to debate the EU Withdrawal Bill for the first time.

This is the bill will end the supremacy of EU law in the UK dating back more than 40 years but convert all existing EU laws into domestic ones.

But there's plenty going on before MPs get onto that crucial debate later. First, it's questions to the Brexit Secretary David Davis in the chamber.

That's where we have to leave our live text coverage today - after a Commons session in which Jeremy Corbyn repeatedly urged action on zero-hours contracts and an end to the public-sector pay cap.

Theresa May insisted her party had done more to help workers than Labour, saying they had "put workers first".

The government also faced criticism over the implementation of its plan for 30 hours' free childcare a week, with Education Minister Robert Goodwill telling MPs the early evaluation of pilot areas was "encouraging".

Labour forced three votes on the government's proposed tax changes, all three of which it lost.