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Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer expresses confusion over the Costa amendment, saying it was unclear this morning if the government had accepted the amendment or not.

There is an "expectation" that between now and 12 March there is going to be a change to the deal, he says, but adds: "I do not think that is going to happen."

Sir Keir says that there has been no progress at all on the bill since the meaningful vote was originally pulled on December 10th.

"The stark truth is this; not one word of the withdrawal agreement or the political declaration has changed [since] it was signed off on the 25th November last year."

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Addressing the SNP's amendment which insists the UK should not leave the EU in any circumstances without a deal "regardless of any exit date", David Lidington accuses it of willing "certain ends without any means".

Labour's amendment calls for the UK to be closely aligned with the single market.

The minister says the prime minister's deal already provides for "the closest relationship possible outside the single market".

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David Lidington says the government will accept Alberto Costa's amendment which seeks to protect the rights of UK citizens in the EU, and vice versa.

The amendment does not ask for a new agreement.

Instead it calls on the government to implement the part of the withdrawal agreement - the so-called "divorce bill" element of the deal - that includes citizens' rights at "the earliest opportunity", regardless of the outcome of negotiations.

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Labour's Yvette Cooper wants to know what would happen if the EU disagreed with the UK about the length of any extension to Article 50.

She asks if the government will bring it back to Parliament for a further vote, rather than simply dismissing it and deciding to shift to no-deal instead.

David Lidington says it is "a fact of law" that there would have to be agreement with the other EU leaders.

Labour's Liz Kendall (pictured) accuses him of not answering Ms Cooper's question.

Mr Lidington says that other EU leaders do not have an interest in seeing a "chaotic departure" from the EU.

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David Lidington now turns to the Cooper/Letwin amendment.

It states that if MPs vote to delay Brexit, the government should seek an extension from the EU and bring forward legislation to change, in law, the date of the UK's departure.

Mr Lidington says the UK will only leave the EU without a deal with "explicit" approval from Parliament.

He says this is a commitment made by the prime minister "and the government will stick by them".

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There's an intervention from Conservative MP Marcus Fysh, who asks when the no-deal impact assessments - published yesterday - were prepared.

David Lidington replies that instructions to draft the document were made after former Tory MP Anna Soubry withdrew her amendment calling for the papers to be published.

He says he believes the published document is "thorough", which he is satisfied can be "traced" to documents that have gone before the Cabinet.

But Ms Soubry, now a member of The Independent Group, intervenes to say that, to her knowledge, the document published is an "accurate and fair summary" of what she requested.

"I now want the detail, but that's another matter", she adds.

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There is one particular question David Lidington has been asked more than once in the debate so far.

It is now the turn of Conservative Ken Clarke. Like other MPs, he wants to know if the government will vote to extend Article 50 if it doesn't get a majority on its deal.

David Lidington repeats his earlier assertion that he won't comment on "hypothetical votes".

MPs have put forward their proposals for the next steps in the Brexit process - but what do they want?

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Labour's Yvette Cooper says "businesses are still worrying" about Brexit and are having to move jobs and assets abroad.

She asks if the government will vote against the UK leaving without a deal, and she states that the Brexit secretary has previously ignored motions passed by the Commons relating to Brexit.

Mr Lidington says that what was said by Theresa May yesterday was "discussed" at Cabinet before being said to Parliament.

He says the next earliest opportunity for no-deal to be taken off the table will be the next meaningful vote.

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Green MP Caroline Lucas compares the PM's words about extending Article 50 to the French President Emmanuel Macron's comments.

She says the prime minister wants to extend Article 50 to allow time for "more faffing", whereas President Macron said Article 50 should be extended for a purpose.

"The purpose that is gaining more credibility across the House is to put [the Brexit deal] to a public vote," she says.

"That does not characterise the PM's word accurately," replies Mr Lidington.

The Costa amendment, tabled by Tory MP Alberto Costa, requires the government to seek a joint UK-EU commitment to adopt the citizens' rights part of the withdrawal agreement, regardless of the outcome of Brexit negotiations.

It is still not clear if the government will support it.

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Independent MP Anna Soubry asks why the government is "only now" looking at alternative arrangements to the Northern Ireland backstop.

She points out that the Northern Ireland committee had already done "an enormous amount of work" on this and came to the conclusion that "there are no alternative arrangements".

David Lidington replies that the government has been doing plenty of work on this subject too and adds that not only technological but also legal problems need to be overcome in order to find a solution.

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SNP MP Joanna Cherry questions whether getting legal assurances to the backstop is "not a question of reopening the withdrawal agreement".

Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington says the Attorney General has been talking to representatives of the EU Commission "about changes to the overall terms of the agreement" to facilitate the UK's departure from the EU.

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SNP MP Tommy Sheppard asks if the government will support a no-deal Brexit or instead back extending Article 50 - the legal mechanism that sees the UK leave the EU on 29 March.

David Lidington says he is focused on negotiating an agreement with the EU, rather than "speculating on hypotheticals".

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Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake intervenes to ask if the government will be supporting the Costa amendment in a vote later.

The Tory MP's proposal requires the government to seek a joint UK-EU commitment to adopt the citizens' rights part of the withdrawal agreement, regardless of the outcome of Brexit negotiations.

Earlier today, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the government will be backing the amendment, despite the prime minister saying differently yesterday.

Mr Lidington says Mr Brake "will have to contain his excitement until I deal with the amendments that have been selected".