House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Sir Roger Gale says more than a million British citizens live in other countries, whilst "others will wish to leave or need to leave". He says if the prime minister will protect their interests.

Theresa May says she refused to give a guarantee of EU citizens' rights in the UK until the rights of British citizens in EU member states were guaranteed.

"In some of those member states the precise technical details of those reciprocal arrangements are still being worked through," she says, but adds that this was part of the Citizens Rights Agreement from December.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Richard Drax says the backstop proposals are creating "a deep unease that somehow we will be left in the EU indefinitely". He asks for confirmation that if the backstop is resorted to, that the UK "has the sole right to pull out of it".

Mrs May repeats that "the point about the backstop is that it is an insurance policy for the people of Northern Ireland."

She insists that that this situation must be temporary and the UK must be able to ensure that it is not left in this backstop "as a result of a decision that the European Union takes".

"That's why it's so important we get a number of things", including a reassurance on the backstop, she says.

Westminster Hall

Image source, HoC

Labour MP Mike Hill opens the debate on horse racing on behalf of the petitions committee and the petitioners.

Mr Hill says that jockeys have a choice to participate but the horses do not. He adds the horses are bred to be "a billion pound commercial industry" and there should come a "responsibility" to the horses involved.

He says "transparency and accountability" should be a key features of any authority and where animals are involved "even more so". He says there is a public interest in sport and animal welfare.

He says the petitioners believe the regulators are an "exclusive all boys' club".

The petitioners also criticise the breeding and welfare practises in the industry

House of Lords
Parliament

The Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill continues its committee stage in the Lords this afternoon.

If passed, this bill will reform the process in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 for authorising arrangements enabling the care or treatment of people who lack capacity to consent to arrangements.

The bill will aim to make sure that people in care homes and hospitals are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom.

Peers are expected to discuss a range of subjects, including the authorisation of home care arrangements, the access of NHS bodies to a clinical ethics committee and the duties of the Care Quality Commission - the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Mark Harper asks the prime minister to remind the EU what they signed up for in last December's joint report - a guarantee that there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, and to follow only those rules that were necessary for north and south cooperation.

Theresa May says this was a clear report in December to avoid a hard border in the Irish Sea and the EU are aware of this.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour's Stephen Kinnock says the PM keeps pointing those who question how to keep friction less trade "to read the white paper".

He says the Salzburg summit highlighted, however, that these proposals "are dead in the water".

"What is her plan B?"

Theresa May says the government is negotiating with the European Union "on the basis of the proposals that we put forward in the white paper".

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Sir Nicholas Soames says despite the complex and difficult negotiations, security cooperation must remain a national priority.

Theresa May guarantees that security will remain a key priority for government in all post Brexit plans.

"We will continue to cooperate with the EU about how to manage internal and external security in this country," she says.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg notes that it is unlawful to have a separate customs arrangement for Northern Ireland, and asks why this escaped the negotiators until so late in the process.

He says negotiations over Northern Ireland have "taken too long".

Theresa May says: "This is not a point that escaped negotiators as we were always clear we did not want a border down the Irish sea."

"We have consistently been clear that this was an arrangement the UK could not accept."

House of Commons
Parliament

Tory Dominic Grieve says there is every suggestion the UK is "heading towards a conclusion of a two year long relationship with the EU" in which "we have absolutely no say", followed by a situation where "we are bound by a common rule book afterwards".

"I will not be able to support the government in this unless this matter is put to the British people again... It is entirely different to what was discussed in the referendum in 2016."

The prime minister says she can recall a time when Mr Grieve "was in favour of the government negotiating an implementation period".

Westminster Hall

Image source, Getty Images

Today's Westminster Hall debate is on e-petition 211950, external.

The petition calls on the government to set up an independent regulatory body, with horse welfare as its only interest, to take meaningful action to stop horses dying.

Currently, the British Horseracing Authority is responsible for racehorse welfare and aims to "prioritise the health and welfare of racehorses and sets standards to ensure they receive first-class care and attention."

The authority also strives "to improve the health of British Racing".

According to authority figures, 167 horses, 0.18% of participants, died in 2017 from racing.

The government says that overall fatalities at racecourses are falling and does not see a need to set up another body responsible for racehorse welfare.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The DUP's Westminister Leader says it "cannot be right" to have a border on the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the UK.

Nigel Dodds asks the prime minister to confirm the UK will leave the EU together without differences concerning the customs union or single market.

Theresa May says the UK will be leaving the EU "together" and maintaining the "integrity" of its own union.

She says the EU proposals would "carve" Northern Ireland away from the UK and the government cannot support their "backstop to a backstop".

The Times's deputy political editor and Brexit correspondent from the Guardian tweet:

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative MP Anna Soubry says: "This is not what Leave voters voted for...they promised a deal on trade, not after we leave the European Union but when we leave the European Union.

"They were told it would be the easiest deal in the history of trade deals... What we now see is complete chaos and a total mess."

"If her government can't get a grip on this and if Parliament cannot get a grip on this" the government should acknowledge that Brexit cannot be delivered, she says, calling for the government to "take it back to the people and have a people's vote."

The PM responds that "this Parliament voted overwhelmingly to give the choice to the British people... the people voted to leave the European Union".

"It is a matter of faith in our democracy, of the integrity of politicians, that we deliver for people on that vote.

"The people's vote happened in 2016 and the people voted to leave."

House of Commons
Parliament

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Promiment Eurosceptic and Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash asks the prime minister if she is aware that if the UK keep being belittled by the EU in Brexit negotiations, "this country will be brought to a humiliating conclusion".

The prime minister says negotiations with the EU have seen them "recognising our arguments, moving their position and us recognising we need to put forward proposals that are acceptable to us and those being expressed by the EU".

"I want a deal that delivers on the Brexit vote but that also protects jobs and livelihoods," she says.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable asks why the statement comes today if it does not advance "our understanding one iota". He says Brexit means borders for Ireland and a betrayal of the Good Friday Agreement.

The prime minister says the Liberal Democrats don't know where they stand, complaining when she does and does not make a statement.

House of Commons
Parliament

Former home secretary Amber Rudd asks the PM to remember that when she listens to the voices in the Chamber, she also works on behalf of the 48% of the country who voted Remain.

Theresa May says that she is looking for a deal which is good for the whole of the United Kingdom, and which ensures the UK has the freedom to do trade deals around the world, but also protects jobs which rely on trade with the EU.

House of Commons
Parliament

Chair of the Brexit Committee Hilary Benn says that on the Northern Irish border issue, "the expectation of an end date is not the same as a definite end date".

He asks when the prime minister will tell her party that "we cannot have a fixed, artificial time limit on that fall back which the government is trying to negotiate with the EU."

The prime minister says the purposed backstop is "an insurance policy", which will be "there for the time until the future relationship can come into place."

"We expect that to be no later than December 2021", but the government will be working to ensure that happens as early as possible, she says.

She repeats that the government wants the backstop "never to have to come into place".