House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Scottish Tory Ross Thomson says the EU's deputy Brexit negotiator has tweeted this afternoon that "we need an EU-UK fisheries agreement that covers both access to waters and market access".

He asks for a "cast-iron guarantee" that any fisheries agreement will "never link access to our waters with single market access".

The prime minister says this is an issue on which "there are very strong feelings" within the EU, and the government has "rigorously resisted" attempts to link the two issues.

She repeats from her opening statement: "The fisheries agreement is not something we will be trading off against any other priorities".

House of Commons
Parliament

Today's sitting was supposed to move on to the adjournment debate at 5pm, but the Speaker has seemingly allowed MPs to continue questioning the prime minister on her Brexit statement.

The Speaker can formally extend the sitting of the House using a programme motion, however he has not done so on this occasion.

There are still MPs seeking to ask Theresa May a question.

• Theresa May goes back to Brussels on Saturday for more talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker
• Negotiators try to get an agreement with Spain over Gibraltar
• EU leaders meet on Sunday to sign off on the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration
• If that is agreed Mrs May starts the process of getting MPs to back the deal
• If MPs back the deal it then has to be ratified by the European Parliament
• The UK leaves the EU on 29 March - and trade talks on the future relationship start

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour MP Christian Matheson says the political declaration mentions "exploring the possibility" of the UK and EU cooperating "with such agencies as the European Medicines Agency (EMA)".

He points out that MPs voted in July to remain part of the EMA, defeating the government in doing so.

"Why is she ignoring the will of the House?", he asks.

Mrs May says the government isn't ignoring MPs, and recognises what was expressed.

Membership of the EMA will be part of the negotiations on the future relationship, she says.

"There's no guarantees", someone shouts.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative Brexiteer Peter Bone says the UK is "spending £39bn" to leave the EU, and if the transition period is extended, "we will be spending even more of taxpayers' money".

Theresa May says she thinks there would be "an expectation" from the EU for further payments if the transition period is extended.

But she adds: "With the backstop there would not, although we are pursuing other alternative arrangements".

House of Commons
Parliament

There's a technical question for Theresa May from Labour's Helen Goodman, who sits on the procedure committee.

She asks whether the PM will accept the committee's recommendation, external that before MPs vote on the government's motion to approve the Brexit deal, they can vote on amendments first.

Theresa May replies that the the public would expect MPs "to be able to have a vote on the deal".

The motion will be amendable, she says, but adds: "people will want to know the view of this parliament on the deal as it is brought back from Europe".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Tory Brexiteer MP Mark Francois says the prime minister has made "many promises to leave the customs union" and yet in the draft treaty "we are stuck in the backstop and in the customs union."

"She said she would never have a hard border down the Irish Sea, but this document does exactly that".

He also demands to know whether MPs will vote on the deal before Christmas.

Theresa May says discussions are taking place to ensure sufficient debate ahead of a vote, but adds: "we also recognise the timescale".

The prime minister adds: "we will be leaving the customs union, and that's the point of the future framework we're setting up".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Former Brexit minister and Tory Eurosceptic Steve Baker says the political declaration says the UK could be fined for not following EU law.

"What other country would want to submit to these kind of arrangements?", he asks.

Theresa May says the deal is a good one, that has been offered to no other country outside the EU.

House of Commons
Parliament

Tory MP Andrew Murrison, who chairs the Northern Ireland Committee, asks who will assess whether a the prime minister's 'alternative arrangements' can be used instead of the Irish border backstop.

The PM replies that if the UK entered the backstop but believed alternative arrangements were ready, it would be discussed in the 'joint committee' set up in the withdrawal deal.

"The matter could also be put through the arbitration panel and would be up to them to decide", she adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake asks Theresa May if there are circumstances under which the prime minister would inflict a no-deal Brexit on the country, and if she will accept a 'People's Vote'.

Theresa May avoids referencing a no-deal Brexit, and refers Tom Brake back to her previous answers.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Eurosceptic MP Jacob Rees-Mogg asks why the draft agreement doesn’t assert the Supreme Court as the interpreting court of UK law.

He asks the PM if it is "implicit" that European Union law is "senior".

Theresa May says no, and adds that UK courts base their decisions on the opinion of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP and former Brexit minister David Jones asks Theresa May to confirm whether the UK will be able to withdraw from arrangements "envisaged by this political declaration".

Theresa May says "is important to accept that trade arrangements and relationships change", and a "review mechanism must be in place to make changes to the agreement".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Former Conservative Attorney General Dominic Grieve calls on the PM to put her deal to the people in a second referendum and offer the alternative of remaining in the EU.

He calls the backstop plan for the Irish border a "constitutional anomaly of the first order", by making the EU the guarantor of an agreement between Ireland and the UK.

Theresa May says she's already said no to a second referendum.

She says she has negotiated an arrangement that continues a close partnership between the UK and the EU, which is the right thing to do.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Kate Hoey, who was part of the Leave campaign, says the prime minister's team has not "looked at the backstop issue seriously" until "very recently".

She adds: "the backstop has no need to be in a legal agreement and it should be taken out while ensuring that a hard border is impossible".

Theresa May says "we have a commitment to no hard border, but it is also important to ensure businesses and people in Northern Ireland can carry out their daily lives as they do now".

House of Commons
Parliament

Another Labour MP who voted Remain, Chuka Umunna, says today's agreement is a "declaration of aspiration and a charter for years of uncertainty".

It is not the "comprehensive free trade deal" she promised she would have achieved before exit day, he adds.

He asks if the prime minister can guarantee a free trade deal will be finalised by the end of the transition period. The political declaration gives no certainty to businesses, he says.

Theresa May says businesses "have been very clear" that the withdrawal agreement does provide certainty.

House of Commons
Parliament

Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts says the British public "can now see that the government is swivel-eyed in its plans to rip the UK out of the customs union and the single market".

He adds her voice to those calling for a further EU referendum.

Theresa May replies: "this is a deal which protects the economy, creates jobs and will bring prosperity to the United Kingdom".