House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative Douglas Ross asks what assessment the government has made of opportunities for the Scottish fishing industry once the UK leaves the EU.

David Mundell says that the government is "unequivocally" taking fishing out of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Mr Ross asks if the Scottish government is supporting the central aims of the government in leaving the CFP.

Mr Mundell says that "sadly" the Scottish government position remains to "take Scotland back into the CFP".

Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

With the PM away on international duty at the Nato summit, this will be the battle of the substitutes, with de facto deputy prime minister David Lidington facing the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry...

…which creates a rather odd dynamic – Hamlet without the Prince(ss). If Theresa May were at the despatch box, she would be beset with hostile questions from her own side as well as from the Opposition.

But what is the point of asking the wily Mr Lidington those questions? On one level he’s a former Europe minister with vast expertise on EU issues – but the point of most possible euro-questions would be to challenge the PM, as the ultimate decision-maker, rather than have them brushed deftly aside by an expert parliamentarian.

So perhaps none of the Tory euro-factions will be that keen to raise the issue, although a number of Brexity backbenchers– Andrew Rosindell, Cheryl Gillan and Sheryll Murray - are down on the list to ask questions. The international scene does, however, provide alternatives. The Conservative, Alberto Costa, is said to be poised to ask about the future of Nato, and someone on the Opposition side is bound to ask about President Trump.

Emily Thornberry has proven an adept performer on these occasions – but the the England-Croatia game looming she can expect to face Tory cries of “fly the flag”, to revive memories of her Rochester by-election gaffe, when she was accused of mocking people who flew the Cross of St George outside their homes.

She is, however, pretty immune to that sort of thing and has a mordant line in humour, so a well-honed Trump joke is probably on the cards.

Elsewhere, expect a lot of hits on constituency concerns and cross-party issues. The opening questioner, the SNP’s Chris Stephens is a vice chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood, and may use the opportunity to contrast the compensation payments made in Scotland with the less generous sums in England and Wales.

Select Committee
Parliament

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The DUP's Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson raises the concerns of many Brexiteer MPs by suggesting that the Chequers agreement could be watered down if the UK uses it as the start of a negotiating position.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The SNP's Angela Crawley asks what recent discussions have been had between the Scottish government and prime minister on Holyrood's decision not to grant a legislative consent motion for the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, external.

The Scottish Secretary David Mundell says that the Joint Ministerial Committee on devolution met last week and the prime minister was fully briefed on the outcome.

Ms Crawley says that last week the Scottish Secretary was finally included in cabinet discussions on Brexit at Chequers. She asks what will happen as the Scottish Parliament has refused to grant consent.

Mr Mundell says that he has fed in the views of the Scottish Parliament to the government.

Select Committee
Parliament

Henry Newman says that with the country divided, a Brexit compromise was needed and the Chequers agreement provides a fair option to send to the EU.

However, he does note that the Chequers agreement "is a lot closer to the European Union than many Brexiteers wanted".

Allie Renison says the UK can look to Iceland's example, which she says is inside the single market, but is still able to negotiate its own customs and border arrangements in third party trade agreements.

Select Committee
Parliament

Allie Renison says while issues over goods and services will be crucial, the main question that should be answered in the government's upcoming Brexit white paper, concerns how the "movement of persons" will be separated from other issues.

She says that the movement of persons and goods are intrinsically linked in other EU deals such as Switzerland's.

Sajid Javid told the Home Affairs Committee yesterday that the white paper will not focus specifically on the government's plan for immigration, with a separate white paper on that expected to arrive in the autumn.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Professor Michael Dougan tells Labour's Stephen Kinnock that the ease of negotiating and securing a deal with the EU will depends largely on how complicated the UK government wants it to be.

He says: "If we end up with a free trade agreement like Canada or if we end up with an EEA deal like Norway, then we're dealing with known quantities.

"But if we're talking about something more bespoke, then there has to be more detail...The less ambitious we are, the easier it will be to have a reliable political declaration."

The UK government is due to set out its plans for the country's post-Brexit relationship with the EU. What do we know so far?

House of Commons
Parliament

The day starts at 11:30am, with Scotland questions and PMQs at midday.

Remember, Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington is answering questions today as Theresa May attending the Nato summit.

Shortly after, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson will make a statement on Afghanistan.

There will then be two Opposition Day debates, tabled by Labour, from around 1:30pm.

The first is on Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey's handling of Universal Credit, and the second is on the UK defence industry and shipbuilding.

Select Committee
Parliament

It's been given numerous mentions during this committee. Here's the key things you need to know about the government's Brexit white paper:

• The government confirmed yesterday that it will be published tomorrow, despite this week's government resignations
• The paper will be based on Theresa May's Chequers agreement that angered some Brexiteer MPs on Friday
• The cabinet has agreed on a "common rulebook" with the EU for goods - the plans for services are expected to be laid out more clearly
• It will still need to be agreed on by the European Council - the deadline for this happening is October's summit
• Some Brexiteers have expressed concern that the white paper will act as the start of the UK's negotiating position and will be watered down by the EU
• Sajid Javid said yesterday that the white paper will not contain specific details on the government's plan for a post-Brexit immigration system

Select Committee
Parliament

Sir Christopher Chope, who once camped outside Parliament in favour of a set of policies that included leaving the EU, suggests to the witnesses that there will only be friction on the UK-EU border if Brussels chooses to put it there.

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In what is rapidly becoming a trend during this committee meeting, Professor Michael Dougan says it's impossible to tell what the implications will be until the government white paper has been published.

Select Committee
Parliament

Open Europe chief Henry Newman turns the tables on the EU, saying that now the UK government has a plan for Brexit, people must recognise that the "other side doesn't".

He says that Irish PM Leo Varadkar's comments yesterday that Europe needs to be "flexible" on its red lines, is in direct contrast to previous comments from Brussels that the UK must make a binary choice to be in our out of the EU.

During the Irish equivalent of PMQs yesterday, Mr Varadkar said: “The Chequers statement is welcome. I believe it can input into talks on the future relationship, although we would like to see the white paper.

“On the face of what we see, it can input into the talks on the future relationship. It is welcome and, as we have always said in the past, if the UK was able to relax some of its red lines then the EU should be flexible too.

“Perhaps we are now entering into that space."

Select Committee
Parliament

Wera Hobhouse, who yesterday described the EU as the "greatest peace project in the modern era", asks what happens if the Chequers agreement is implemented but there is a customs dispute between the UK and EU.

Henry Newman says there is a very clear judicial system set out in the text that will decide on disputes between the UK and EU after Brexit. This, he says, provides a key difference between the UK's proposal and the agreement Switzerland has.

However, Professor Michael Dougan says this will inevitably lead to the European Court of Justice, which many Brexiteers see as a red line, having ultimate control over these disputes. Again, he says more clarity is needed on this in the white paper.

Select Committee
Parliament

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We have our first direct mention of the cabinet's Chequers meeting last Friday, as Labour's Emma Reynolds asks the panel if the agreement is viable.

Professor Michael Dougan says "we will effectively remain within a common market for goods" but warns that for that system to work, there is "a lot of missing major detail" in the PM's Chequers statement.

Remember, it's that statement which has so far led to the resignations of Cabinet big wigs Boris Johnson and David Davis, as well as junior government minister Steve Baker; and Maria Caulfield and Ben Bradley from party posts.

Select Committee
Parliament

Asked by Conservative MP Jeremy Lefroy about contingency plans, Allie Renison says around a quarter of businesses she speaks to are realistically looking at the possibility of relocating away from the UK.

Henry Newman points out that relocation is an especially difficult contingency plan for small businesses to consider.

Select Committee
Parliament

Henry Newman, who, it's worth noting was an adviser to Brexiteer Michael Gove during the referendum campaign, says the government's plan is very welcome, given that it has been a long time coming.

But he too stresses that tomorrow's white paper needs to provide more detail.

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Now in his role as Director of the Open Europe think tank, which operates from offices in London and Brussels, Mr Newman adds that the banking and service sectors need specific detail in the government's plans.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

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The government is to publish its white paper tomorrow detailing the Chequers Brexit proposal, including a common rule book for UK and European goods and a facilitated customs arrangement.

Pascal Lamy, the former head of the World Trade Organisation and a former EU trade commissioner, says we are "moving slowly to a recognition that whatever trade agreement will be governing the trade relationship between the UK and the EU in the future, there will be more trade frictions, and more trade costs than at present".

The era of no borders, no tariffs, regulatory alignment and smooth trade will be over after Brexit, he says.

"There will be a border, and the real question is, how thick is the border?" he says.

Select Committee
Parliament

The Environment Committee is questioning the secretary of state, Michael Gove, this morning, on regulation of the water industry.

You can watch the session using the video tab above.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Allie Renison opens up this morning's proceedings with a warning that the government's Brexit white paper, which is due out tomorrow, needs to provide more details on plans for the future.

Asked by the chair if the last week's progress has been large enough, she says: "At the moment, any progress is progress."