House of Commons
Parliament

Select Committee
Parliament

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Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston, who chairs the Health Committee, asks if the prime minister is aware of the "scale of challenges that will face the NHS" if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Theresa May replies that the "way to ensure that we get a good deal" is for MPs to "ratify the deal that the government has achieved".

Dr Wollaston says that the parliamentary arithmetic means the deal is likely to be rejected.

She asks if "any responsible government" would "allow the scale of chaos that would ensue" in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

The PM says responsible government must prepare for "any scenario that could develop", adding: "where there are potential difficulties, they are mitigated to the best extent possible".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Brexit is also on the minds of MPs in the main Commons chamber, where they are putting questions to environment ministers.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove says French President Emmanuel Macron was "speechless with rage" at the proposed fishing arrangements agreed with the EU after Brexit, showing it is a good deal for the UK.

"The truth is that as an independent coastal state, we will be able to decide who comes into our waters and under what terms", he says.

The French president's rage should be a "cause for celebration" for those that have concerns about British fishing after Brexit, he says.

Select Committee
Parliament

There's a moment of mirth when Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, asks about the UK's potential trade deal with the EU after Brexit.

When he suggests that trade talks might amount to a "remarriage", Theresa May replies that she's "not sure that a remarriage is the correct analogy, we're going to be very good friends".

"Friends with benefits?" asks Tom Tugendhat, prompting laughter in the room.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Labour's Yvette Cooper says the PM is squandering trust and "not being straight with people"

She says Theresa May is telling some people the UK is "getting frictionless trade" and will be "pretty close to Norway", and others that the the deal "will ultimately be a Canada- style free trade deal".

Isn't the PM, she asks, asking people to trust her to "sort it out in the second phase"?

In reply, Theresa May says the UK will have an "independent trade policy", and the EU has accepted this in the Brexit political declaration.

She carries on until Yvette Cooper cuts her off, saying the PM is "not adding anything".

Select Committee
Parliament

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Conservative MP Julian Lewis, who chairs the Defence Committee, repeatedly asks the PM under what circumstances a hard Irish border would be erected.

Theresa May repeatedly says ministers will do "everything in our power" to avoid a hard border, and emphasises that she can't speak for the Irish government.

But she declines to give a direct answer to Julian Lewis's question of "who would actually build it".

Mr Lewis says that the "whole thing amounts, does it not, to an excuse to keep us entangled with the European Union?"

Mrs May says she disagrees with that "assumption", adding that she's focused on enabling people in Northern Ireland to "live their lives very much as they do today".

Select Committee
Parliament

Select Committee
Parliament

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Conservative MP Andrew Murrison asks about contingencies if the prime minister wins the vote in Parliament next month, to approve her Brexit deal.

"How will you govern after the vote" he asks, given the DUP's opposition to the agreement?

He asks if there are plans for a "future without your confidence and supply partner".

The Conservatives rely on the DUP's 10 MPs for a majority in the Commons - but last week, the DUP abstained on votes in protest at the EU withdrawal deal.

Mrs May says their confidence and supply agreement with the party "remains in place".

She adds that she has had talks about the DUP's "concerns", but expects them to continue to support the government in the long run.

Select Committee
Parliament

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The SNP's Pete Wishart says Scotland will be worse off under the PM's proposed Brexit deal and says "now is not the time" to "make us poorer".

He says polls have shown that 70% of Scots oppose the deal, and adds that every local authority area in Scotland voted against Brexit in 2016.

Theresa May says her deal has the support of "employers and organisations in Scotland".

She adds that the most important thing for Scotland's prosperity is the country's "continuation inside the internal market of the United Kingdom".

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Business today in the Commons gets underway shortly, with questions to Environment Secretary Michael Gove and his team of ministers, followed by commissioners' questions.

After that, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer will ask an urgent question regarding the publication of legal advice on Brexit given to the government by the attorney general.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom will then outline forthcoming parliamentary business, followed by a general debate on improving educational standards.

Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle ends the day with his adjournment debate to mark HIV and World Aids Day.

Select Committee
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Continuing, Labour MP Rachael Reeves asks the PM whether she agrees with analysis that the UK will be £100bn worse off over ten years than it would have been in the EU.

The prediction was included in a recent study from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Mrs May says she wants to emphasise that the analysis does not show Britain being poorer than it is now, that all analyses show the economy continuing to grow, albeit at a lower rate.

She adds that "being inside the EU is not an option" because "people have voted to leave".

She says it's about finding the best option in the light of that vote.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Labour's Rachael Reeves asks if the prime minister will "rule out the possibility" of leaving with no deal "given what we know now...it would be so catastrophic".

She mentions Bank of England analysis yesterday claiming the economy could shrink by as much as 8% in the event of a no-deal exit.

Theresa May says the vote is on "whether to support, whether to ratify" the deal and that "if the House votes down that deal, there will be steps that are necessary".

Rachael Reeves again asks: "if Parliament voted down the deal, would you really contemplate taking Britain out of the European Union without a deal?"

The Prime Minister says "there is then a process" and the "timetable is such that some people would need to take practical steps".

Select Committee
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Theresa May is telling Labour MP Hilary Benn that MPs must "focus on the choice that lies in front of them" when they decide whether they will approve the Brexit withdrawal deal.

Hilary Benn, who chairs the Brexit select committee, asks what contingencies are being planned should the deal be rejected by MPs on December 11th.

Are there people in Number 10, he wonders, planning for an EEA and customs union Brexit? He says this is what "any responsible government" would be doing.

Theresa May will only say that her "focus is on the vote that will take place".

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the day in Westminster.

First this morning, Theresa May will be facing questions on Brexit from members of the Commons Liaison Committee.

The committee is made up of the chairs of the select committees, and is chaired by Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston.

The PM could face some tough questioning, with the committee including a number of critics of her proposed Brexit deal from both Leave and Remain sides of the argument.

Theresa May faced Jeremy Corbyn at the weekly question session.

At PMQs, the Labour leader wanted to know whether the UK would be worse off under the prime minister's Brexit plans.

The session came after the government published an analysis suggesting the UK would be less well off under all Brexit options when compared with staying in the EU.

• Brexit will make UK worse off, government warns

Theresa May said her deal was the best available to protect the economy and "honour" the EU referendum result. The "biggest risk" to the economy was a Labour government, she added.

Read more about PMQs here.

As the PM tours the UK selling her deal, should she be twisting arms in Westminster instead?

House of Commons
Parliament

That's it for our coverage of the Commons today as the House has now adjourned.

The day began with questions to Scottish ministers, before Theresa May was questioned about the Chancellor of the Exchequer's comments that the UK would be "slightly worse off" under all Brexit scenarios in PMQs.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell then asked an urgent question on the publication of economic analysis of Brexit.

After this, Labour MP Marsha de Cordova introduced her bill on fire safety as a ten minute rule motion, before MPs moved onto their main business of the day, the report stage and third reading of the Offensive Weapons Bill.

The bill passed its third reading and will now go to the House of Lords.

Join us tomorrow at 9.30am for environment questions.

An amendment removing the proposed ban on high calibre weapons came after pressure from MPs.

House of Commons
Parliament

The Offensive Weapons Bill receives third reading without division.

It will now go to the House of Lords, where it will receive further scrutiny.

Business will now turn to the adjournment debate, which is tonight led by Conservative MP Marcus Fysh and concerns planning conditions and framework in South Somerset.