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Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay prompts several interventions after telling MPs that the EU Withdrawal Act - which says the UK will leave on March 29 - "takes precedence" over an amendment passed by Parliament during a vote last month stating its opposition to a no-deal exit.

In reply to an intervention from Tory MP Justine Greening, he says the fact the amendment passed "doesn't change the stated position of the government".

Another Conservative, Caroline Spelman, who tabled the amendment, points out that MPs passed two amendments at the vote: the one rejecting a no-deal exit, and another to replace the Irish border backstop plan with "alternative arrangements".

Ministers should show "equal respect" to both amendments, she says, adding that to do otherwise would be "contemptuous" of the Commons.

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Exiting the EU Secretary, Stephen Barclay, says on 29 January a majority of MPs said they would support a deal without the backstop.

He says the motion today confirms the negotiations, which are ongoing.

"The government's priority is to address the indefinite nature of the backstop, which under Article 50 is legally required to be temporary," he states.

"We do, as a Parliament, need to hold our nerve," he states, adding that the EU "share our desire" to have a deal.

"The only way to avoid no deal is either to secure a deal...otherwise it is to revoke [Article 50]," he states.

He says he rejects that the prime minister will fail in further negotiations, after he is challenged by Conservative Ken Clarke.

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Ahead of the debate on the UK's withdrawal from the EU and the subsequent votes, the Speaker John Bercow announces that he has selected the following amendments:

• Amendment a - the Labour frontbench amendment which requires the government to either give MPs a vote on the withdrawal agreement and political declaration on future UK-EU relations by 27 February, or make a statement saying there is no longer an agreement in principle with Brussels and so allow MPs to vote on - and amend - its planned next steps.
• Amendment i - the SNP amendment which seeks to postpone the Brexit date by at least three months.
• Amendment e - Conservative MP and Remain supporter Anna Soubry's amendment which instructs the government to publish within seven days "the most recent official briefing document relating to business and trade on the implications of a no-deal Brexit presented to cabinet".

The government motion and the amendments for today's debate can be found on the Order Paper here, external.

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MPs are currently raising Points of Order with the Speaker before the Brexit debate is due to start.

Shortly, John Bercow will outline the amendments he has selected for debate.

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Conservative Robert Halfon asks for a statement on the achievements of Winston Churchill who "was our greatest prime minister" and "social reformer" who "defeated Nazi tyranny".

The Leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, joins in the criticism of the shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, after he described Winston Churchill as a villain.

Mr McDonnell criticised the wartime PM over his handling of a miners' strike in Tonypandy in 1910.

Ms Leadsom says that anyone calling Churchill a "villain" is "denigrating" perhaps the country's "greatest ever contribution to global peace".

"It is a great shame that is described in this way," she adds.

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Chair of the Procedure Committee Charles Walker says as MPs approach "the agony of another Brexit debate with nothing new to hear", he wishes to distract Andrea Leadsom by asking about last Friday's blocking of the FGM private members' bill by Conservative MP Sir Christopher Chope.

Mr Walker says private members' bills are continuing to bring the House "into disrepute", and asks Andrea Leadsom to meet with him to discuss how to ensure "Fridays sell this place, not bring it down".

Andrea Leadsom says "all of us were incredibly disappointed and enraged by the actions of one member" last week.

She says she is "delighted" to tell MPs that she has tabled a motion to allow the bill to be debated in a second reading committee so that it can make progress.

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The SNP's Commons business spokesperson says that the February recess has been cancelled for "SIs and general debates". He says that the Commons has been rising early regularly "because there has not been enough to do".

He says there is nothing in the business statement which indicates when the next meaningful vote will take place. "This is getting beyond a joke," he says. He accuses the government of "running down the clock".

"Labour is red, Tories are blue, the message from Scotland is, we're staying in the EU," he finishes.

Ms Leadsom quotes Shakespeare: "His unkindness may defeat my life but never taint my love."

She adds that the negotiations between the EU and UK on the backstop are still ongoing.

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Shadow leader of the House Valerie Vaz says the general debate on serious violence next week is welcome and asks for a debate on due diligence and what the tests are when awarding contracts, such as that offered to Seaborne Freight.

It is "upsetting" that the leader of the House has not announced the date for the next meaningful vote to MPs but has announced it on the radio, she adds, asking Andrea Leadsom for a timetable for the meaningful vote.

Andrea Leadsom says a process that seeks to assess who is suitable for a contract which does have a cost associated with it, but taxpayers' money was not spent on Seaborne Freight as they failed to meet the requirements of the contract.

The prime minister is negotiating a revised Brexit deal and when progress is achieved "we will bring forward another meaningful vote", Ms Leadsom says.

If there is no majority across the House for the withdrawal agreement and political declaration, the government will make a statement on Tuesday 26 February and there will be votes on the 27 February, she concludes.

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Andrea Leadsom is outlining the business for the now-cancelled February recess.

The week is occupied with debate on statutory instruments, which are secondary - or delegated legislation.

Monday: Statutory Instruments on Draft Armed Forces Continuation, Financial Services EU Exit Regulations, Money Market Funds Amendment, Cross-border Mediation EU Exit Regulations, general debate on serious violence.

Tuesday: SIs on Draft Minimum Wage Regulations, Medicines for Human Use Trials, general debate on NHS Ten Year Plan.

Wednesday: SIs on Motor Vehicles Insurance, Aquatic Species in Agriculture, Fertilisers Amendment, general debate on anti-Semitism.

Thursday: general debate on free trade agreements with Australia, New Zealand, US and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Friday: not sitting

Downing Street has warned that a revolt by Tory Brexiteers could "seriously damage" the prime minister's attempts to get a revised Brexit deal.

MPs will vote on the next steps in the process later but BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says some Tories are refusing to back the government.

Those who are considering abstaining, or voting against the motion say the government's stance would rule out a no-deal Brexit and undermine the UK negotiating position.

The BBC's assistant political editor and political editor have tweeted this insight into the debate:

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay and Brexit Minister Chris Heaton-Harris are opening and closing the debate, which is due to start about 11.30am, and finish at 5pm.

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Conservative Maria Caulfield asks what steps are being taken to reduce HGV traffic on rural roads.

Transport Minister Jesse Norman says this is a "very important issue" and has "all kinds of negative effects". He says that "local authorities are best placed" to try and prohibit the use of HGVs on rural roads.

Ms Caulfield asks if the government could make it mandatory that HGVs use commercial satellite navigation systems to "keep them on the A roads".

Mr Norman says there are some existing satnavs which are designed specifically for HGVs, but mandating them would cause "negative consequences as well as positive ones". "There are protections in place for local authorities," to prevent "abuse of roads by HGVs," he adds.

With Brexit reaching boiling point, could Labour rebels break away to form a new party?

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Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald says that Chris Grayling previously told the Commons that no public money was used on the Seaborne Freight contract.

He says that the National Audit Office says that £800,000 of taxpayers' money was used on consultants for the contract. He adds that the department "bypassed its own procurement rules" on this contract.

Ms Ghani says this is "such a ridiculous statement to make, it is just inaccurate" to protests from the opposition benches. She says that Labour are against business and against Brexit.

Mr McDonald says that answer is "poor, very poor".

He says that Mr Grayling's "ongoing presence in the government makes an international laughing stock of us all". He asks Mr Grayling to step down.

Ms Ghani says "this is transport questions and attacking an individual because you've got nothing left to say is absolutely embarrassing".

She adds that there is currently "record investment in our infrastructure".

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Labour's Jessica Morden asks what preparations have been had with port operators on preparations for leaving the EU.

Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani says she has met port operators "on a number of occasions".

Ms Morden says that Welsh ports have received "strong growth and commitment" to the UK, including providing £1.4bn to the UK economy.

Ms Ghani says that Associated British Ports have invested heavily to try to prevent any issues from EU exit.