Select Committee
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Asked how confident he is that an agreement will be found before the end of the year, Mr Verhofstadt he says it is possible by October or November if the will is there.

He says he hopes this will be shown when the government publishes its new Brexit white paper, joking that if anyone knows when that will be maybe they can enlighten him.

Labour's Emma Reynolds suggests it's now likely to be later than the original suggested date of before the June EU summit and asks whether there is possibility of delay until the end of the year in this case.

He says small delays of weeks can be managed "but maybe we don't have to say that too loud", and that the EU would need three months to consider any agreement.

However, he insists that now is not a good moment to think about any delays as it takes the pressure off those that need to find an agreement, and that negotiations cannot go "beyond the year 2018".

Select Committee
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Folllowing questions by SNP MP Joanna Cheery, Mr Verhofstadt says he stands by his previous suggestions that it is unfair for Scotland to be taken out of the EEA when they voted to remain.

However, he says he "will not interfere in the institutional debates of Britain... that's your responsibility".

Asked whether the European Parliament would be in favour of the compromise put forward by the Scottish government to stay in the EEA and the customs union, Verhofstadt says they would not be against the idea for the whole of the UK, as well as a solution to the Irish border problem, even if it came with the UK choosing to leave some other agreements.

Select Committee
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Guy Verhofstadt says the European Arrest Warrant is the "arrest warrant of the European Union - if you not part of the European Union, you cannot be part of the arrest warrant".

He suggests the UK and EU could create an extradition arrangement with nearly the same benefits.

In response to Stephen Crabb's suggestion that all the UK is seeing from the EU in the negotiations is "very hard application of cold logic", Mr Verhofstadt says "we have to find a balance between hopes and what is possible".

However, he warns that the UK is repeatedly trying to agree participation in policies which "they have never opted into in the past".

Select Committee
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Asked whether he felt a sense of relief following the UK's decision to leave, after years of Britain restricting attempts to create a closer Europe, Mr Verhofstadt says he sees Brexit as a failure of the EU and bad for Europe.

Brexit has, as a result, led to serious discussions about reform of how the European Union works, but it has not changed the reality that Europe's biggest problems require a Europe-wide response.

"The migration crisis can only be managed by a European response and policy," he says.

Select Committee
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Guy Verhofstadt says the main political agreement between Britain and the EU is far more important than trade negotiations in the short term.

"I believe what is agreed October-November will be what is implemented."

He says there needs to be an absolutely precise agreement so there is no confusion over what the political relationship is when the UK leaves, and from there trade relations can be sorted after that.

Select Committee
Parliament

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European Parliament Brexit spokesperson Guy Verhofstadt says he's "puzzled" by the UK's approach to Brexit, and the 'backstop' in particular.

He says the backstop option is being discussed by the UK government as a temporary solution, but it was only intended to be used as a back up if no deal can be found.

Questions still remain over the Northern Irish border and how a situation can be avoided where three different customs arrangements are in place when the UK leaves, which he says is unacceptable.

He's sceptical of other suggestions made in the UK, as they contrast to what has actually been offered in negotiations.

"I can answer every hypothetical question you ask, but what has been offered is not acceptable to the European Parliament."

Mr Verhofstadt says this isn't surprising however, "it took 40 years to establish relations, so it takes time to undo that".

Select Committee
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• Hilary Benn (Chair) - Labour
• Peter Bone - Conservative
• Joanna Cherry - Scottish National Party
• Sir Christopher Chope - Conservative
• Stephen Crabb - Conservative
• Jonathan Djanogly - Conservative
• Richard Graham - Conservative
• Peter Grant - Scottish National Party
• Wera Hobhouse - Liberal Democrat
• Andrea Jenkyns - Conservative
• Stephen Kinnock - Labour
• Jeremy Lefroy - Conservative
• Pat McFadden - Labour
• Craig Mackinlay - Conservative
• Seema Malhotra - Labour (Co-op)
• Jacob Rees-Mogg - Conservative
• Emma Reynolds - Labour
• Stephen Timms - Labour
• John Whittingdale - Conservative
• Hywel Williams - Plaid Cymru
• Sammy Wilson - Democratic Unionist Party

You can read more about the committee and it's work here, external.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Kicking us off this morning, the Exiting the EU Select Committee are joined by Guy Verhofstadt MEP, the European Parliament's Brexit spokesperson.

It's part of the committee's ongoing inquiry into the Brexit negotiations, with the session likely to focus on the European Parliament's role in the negotiations and priorities over any future relationship.

Some progress has been made in the negotiations, including over citizens' rights and the financial settlement, but areas are still to be agreed. How a frictionless border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will be established remains unclear.

As Brexit Coordinator and Chair of the European Parliament Brexit Steering Group, Mr Verhofstadt has been especially vocal on the rights of EU citizens, but yesterday also expressed concerns over the treatment of UK citizens in Europe, external.

Another issue that could arise this morning is the UK's place in the European Arrest Warrant, which EU negotiator Michel Barnier said yesterday the UK would have to leave after Brexit.

Welcome to our coverage of a busy day in Westminster.

We're starting with a select committee session - the Brexit Committee are questioning MEP Guy Verhofstadt.

House of Commons
Parliament

The government has announced that it will review the case for medicinal use of cannabis.

The shift in policy was announced by the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid.

The decision was prompted by recent high-profile cases of children with severe epilepsy being denied access to cannabis oil to control seizures.

But Mr Javid stressed the drug would remain banned for recreational use.

Read more here.

Other Commons business

In the afternoon a motion of no confidence in the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, over his handling of the rail crisis failed by 20 votes.

The Commons then moved to a debate on money resolutions for private members' bills.

This all stems from a row over Labour MP Afzal Khan's bill, which has gone through its first stage, but has still yet to receive a money resolution. Until that is granted, the bill cannot proceed further. Labour have once again called this "unprecedented".

A motion from Labour forcing the government to continue consideration of this bill without a money resolution was narrowly defeated.

The Commons returns at 11:30am tomorrow with Northern Ireland questions and PMQs at midday.

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MPs have voted against the Labour motion to allow further consideration of Afzal Khan's Parliamentary Constituencies (Amendment) Bill without a money resolution.

Ayes: 284

Noes: 299

Majority: 15

House of Commons
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Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith says the size of the House of Lords is smaller than when the prime minister took office. And when challenged on this by the SNP, she admits that 13 peers have been appointed since December 2017.

Talking about constituency sizes (which is what the private member's bill is about) and individual voter registration, she says: "We expect the accuracy of the register to be able to be maintained at a high level."

She adds that it is an "unmitigated good thing" that the electoral register is larger than it was in 2015.

She accuses Labour of putting across "desperate slurs" by using words like "gerrymandering" or "manipulation" of the electoral register.

With that, the Commons divides to vote on the Labour motion.

House of Commons
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Shadow minister for the Cabinet Office Chris Matheson says that the committee he is sitting on (which is designed to examine the bill) has now had six sittings, but has been unable to discuss a single clause because of a lack of a money resolution.

MPs sent a "strong message" to the government that they wanted this bill to proceed, he says, adding that if there is any "treachery" in Parliament then it is from the government benches in not allowing a bill to proceed.

He says he would be "concerned" if tactics from the US Republican Party, such as Voter ID and voter deregistration, were to enter the UK through the Conservative Party.

He urges MPs to vote, not against the government, "but for this House".

House of Commons
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Liberal Democrat Jamie Stone says his constituency is "gigantic".

"You can fit all 73 London constituencies in my constituency and have room on the side left over," he states.

He says the cultures in his constituency and the communities are very different. He says the proposal from the Boundary Commission is to make his constituency "even larger".

"Whoever represents that constituency will have a very difficult time," he finishes.