Select Committee
Parliament

Mrs May says Scotland had a referendum on independence in 2014 and her view is "Scotland should continue to abide by that referendum that it should remain part of United Kingdom".

Select Committee
Parliament

Mrs May says climate change is "one of the biggest challenges we face across the world".

She says the term emergency made it "sound like it has just arisen" but this was "not the case" - referring to the term Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is using in today's Commons debate.

The government has been working on this issue, she says.

Select Committee
Parliament

Ms Reeves tells Mrs May that there have been 120 governors of the Bank of England and there will be a 121st governor this year.

Would she encourage women to apply, Ms Reeves asks.

Mrs May says: "I do like it when women are in senior positions.

"I would encourage applications from female applicants."

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Rachel Reeves asks for Mrs May's view on whether the solution now comes down to a customs union or a second referendum.

Mrs May says she refers to what she has already said - that people have different definitions of customs union.

She says ministers continue talks with the official opposition to find a way through.

Select Committee
Parliament

Mrs May is asked whether she will bring back her Brexit deal for a fourth vote in the Commons and whether she can provide a date for this.

She says that she is "reluctant" to put a date on it, but wants this to happen "as soon as possible".

The UK has a longer extension available, but she wants to ensure we do it “well before that extension date”," she says.

Mrs May says as soon as Parliament has ratified the Brexit deal then the UK will leave at the end of that month.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP Nicky Morgan says she shares the PM’s frustration at the lack of support for the withdrawal agreement in Parliament.

Mrs May says the uncertainty does have an impact on businesses.

“Of course, as soon as we can ratify this deal businesses will be in a better position," she says.

“It is clear there are opportunities that will be available for business.”

Select Committee
Parliament

Mrs May says she had been concerned about the lack of an executive in Northern Ireland if the UK had been left with a no-deal Brexit.

When asked what would happen if the cross-party talks are not successful and the UK is back in the same position, Mrs May says there could be direct rule.

Select Committee
Parliament

Ms Cooper asks Mrs May whether she is prepared to "properly make changes" on her Brexit deal.

"Resilience is a strength, but stubbornness is a weakness," she says.

Mrs May says she has shown willingness to compromise.

"On this particular issue of customs what is important is that we are able to sit down and tease out different elements of this," she says.

"There are different ways we can approach this issue... we have been exploring those."

She says the government has been talking through options with the official opposition.

Mrs May says "an awful lot of work has been done on technology on UK borders".

"I think there is an opportunity for the UK," she says.

"One of the problems with this debate is that very often it is framed in terms of existing models."

She says it is good to look to new approaches.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Yvette Cooper questions the PM on border and security issues.

She asks: "Are you still ruling out being part of a common external tariff?"

Mrs May says an independent trade policy is in the political declaration part of her Brexit deal.

She says the ability to vary tariffs is an "important part of that".

Asking again, Ms Cooper says: "Are you ruling out being in a common external tariff for good?"

Mrs May says the government's proposals "would enable us to ensure that we could operate a common external tariff for the EU" but vary tariffs for other parts of the world.

Select Committee
Parliament

Tory MP Stephen McPartland questions Mrs May about workers' rights.

Mrs May says the government has rights that are above those provided by EU legislation.

She says the government will look at how it can ensure commitments on workers' rights can be enshrined for the future.

Select Committee
Parliament

Tory MP Bill Cash criticises the withdrawal agreement and says the deal "shackles us to all EU treaties and laws".

He says he wants to leave the EU "in the proper way".

Mrs May says the withdrawal agreement includes the transition period for a period of time up to December 2020 and during that time "we will be continuing to operate as we do today".

Mr Cash says that is "castrating" the UK's Parliament as the UK will not have a say during that time.

This is only the transition period, Mrs May replies.