House of Lords
Parliament

A couple of peers raise objections to the amendment under consideration, which proposes separate legislation to set the repeal date for the European Communities Act.

Conservative Lord Hamilton of Epsom complains that peers are acting as if the exit date is the wish of the government, when it is simply dictated by the terms of Article 50.

His party colleague Lord True argues that to separate the exit date from ECA repeal would cause "confusion".

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow Treasury minister Peter Dowd is less enamoured of the bill, calling it "an insubstantial bill from an insubstantial government" which hands out tax cuts to the rich.

He indicates that Labour will be voting against it and the House divides again.

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Parliament

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The House now forms into a "legislative grand committee" under the so-called "English votes for English laws" (EVEL) procedure.

Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle says that only MPs representing constituencies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be entitled to vote if there is a division.

However, the measures applying to England, Wales and Northern Ireland are approved without a vote and the House proceed immediately to third reading.

This is the final stage of the bill and allows MPs a last chance to debate the amended bill as a whole.

Treasury Minister Mel Stride says the bill makes "vital changes" to the tax system, including measures to help first-time buyers.

House of Commons
Parliament

Despite being backed by many of his fellow Labour MPs, Streeting's amendment is defeated by 304 votes to 225 - a majority of 79.

The House suspends briefly while the deputy speaker considers which clauses of the bill apply exclusively to England, or England and Wales.

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's amendment is defeated by 305 votes to 252.

There's another division straight away on an amendment proposed by Labour MP Wes Streeting, concerning vehicle excise duty for taxis.

House of Lords
Parliament

The Lords move on to the second group of amendments, with Labour's Lord Adonis introducing one which would mean the European Communities Act is not repealed on exit day but "on a date to be determined by a further act of Parliament".

He argues that it's "not clear that it is the will of Parliament to leave the EU" without having seen the withdrawal agreement, and this amendment will give power back to Parliament.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's amendment is defeated by 305 votes to 228 - a majority of 77.

The Commons divides again on the SNP's amendment on retrospective VAT refunds for Scotland's police and fire services.

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Parliament

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Brexit Minister Lord Callanan responds to this group of amendments, observing that peers have strayed from focusing on the matter in hand.

He insists the bill is "only designed to prepare our statute book" and is "agnostic" when it comes to negotiations with the EU.

He tells peers, in response to earlier questions, that Article 127 does not need to be triggered for the EEA agreement to cease to have effect.

Lord Adonis intervenes to ask him to publish legal advice on this.

Lord Callanan says he won't - a reply which is received angrily on the opposition benches.

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Parliament

The debate has left little time for Treasury Minister Mel Stride to reply.

He tells Sir Vince Cable that he can "understand his desire to have information" about the possible impact of a tax rise to fund the NHS and promises to speak to him after the debate.

Labour Anneliese Dodds pushes her party's amendment calling for a review of the impact of stamp duty relief for first-time buyers to a vote, and the House divides.

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Parliament

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Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable uses his speech to argue in support of his party's policy of adding a penny in the pound to all income tax bands to fund the NHS and social care.

He argues that the policy would have public support "if people were absolutely confident" that the money would go to the health service.

Sir Vince says he will not press the matter to a vote but wants to hear the Treasury's response to the idea.

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Parliament

The SNP's Kirsty Blackman speaks in support of her party's amendment to require the chancellor to carry out "a review of the potential consequences of allowing the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Police Authority to claim VAT refunds" retrospectively.

Or, as she puts it: "Can you give us our money back please? Thanks."

She welcomes the move to allow VAT rebates from 2018 but observes that "somehow the government has decided that we are now eligible for the rebate and we were not previously".

She adds: "This rebate should always have been available."

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Parliament

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Opposition Brexit spokesperson Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town gives Labour's response to the first group of amendments discussed today.

She says Article 50 requires a framework in place for leaving the EU but the government has offered a "complete lack of clarity" on its preferred model for trade and customs.

She insists that this bill is not about whether we leave the EU but how we leave, and these are "crucial questions which will guide the future of this country".

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"Stamp duty is fundamentally a bad tax which reduces mobility," says Conservative MP Neil O'Brien.

He welcomes the abolition of stamp duty for many first-time buyers and hopes the Treasury will continue to "chop away at this bad tax".

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Parliament

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Labour's Lord Adonis focuses his speech on Northern Ireland, saying the collapse of power-sharing talks is "disturbing and alarming".

He refers to a tweet by former Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson, in which he said the Good Friday Agreement has served its purpose.

Lord Adonis says he doesn't think he's ever heard "more irresponsible words from a former Cabinet minister".

He argues that "it's no coincidence" those questioning the agreement now are "hard Brexiteers" and their actions are "reprehensible".

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Parliament

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You can read the key points of the chancellor's Autumn Budget, which the Finance (No. 2) Bill will enact in law, here.

You can also see how the measures affect you using the BBC's Budget calculator.

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Parliament

Things have been getting a bit tetchy in the Lords during debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill this evening.

A little earlier, government chief whip Lord Taylor of Holbeach suggested peers were not sticking to the amendments in front of them, and tried to move on to the minister's response.

Labour's Lord Adonis objected that it was too important to be rushed, and the government backed down.

There was also a hubbub as Conservative Lord Fairfax said many peers have been influenced by the briefings of EU-funded groups like the CBI.

Lord Farifax said of the peers heckling him: "They laugh but they don't deny it."

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Parliament

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MPs now consider new clause 10, tabled by the SNP, which calls for restrospective VAT refunds for the Scottish police and fire services.

The chancellor announced that the Scottish police and fire services will get refunds on VAT from April 2018, bringing them into line with counterparts elsewhere in the UK.

Also part of the current group of amendments is Labour's new clause 7, which would require a review of the impact of abolishing stamp duty for first-time buyers purchasing properties worth up to £300,000.

The review would include the effect on house prices and supply.

Shadow Treasury minister Anneliese Dodds says the policy is more likely to benefit people who already own property, rather than first-time buyers.

House of Commons
Parliament

Stella Creasy's amendment on PFI is defeated by 305 votes to 265, a majority of 40.

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Parliament

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Labour's Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, who mentions that she worked on legal cases related to the Troubles, says it's "cavalier" to treat the customs union in a way which would endanger the Good Friday Agreement.

A Conservative peer intervenes to suggest the border worked without problems before Ireland and the UK joined the EU, and Baroness Kennedy asks angrily if he's aware of bombings and murders which took place at customs posts.

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Parliament

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MPs vote down the Labour frontbench's new clause 3 by 306 to 267, a majority of 39.

Labour backbencher Stella Creasy then moves her amendment 3 to a vote. It would review "excessive profits" of PFI companies.