Image source, Reuters

The prime minister has told the leaders of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that she will "intensify" work on their proposals for Brexit.

Theresa May was speaking during a meeting of the leaders in Cardiff.

The Scottish and Welsh governments have produced plans that would allow them to keep full access to the single market.

Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said time was "fast running out" for an agreement to be reached.

But the Welsh government said its differences with the UK government were "not irreconcilable".

Ahead of the Joint Ministerial Committee meeting, Mrs May had made it clear the devolved administrations would not be given a decisive role in the UK's divorce from the European Union.

As the committee continues taking evidence on the implications of the EU referendum in Scotland, it will now hear from:

• Michael Russell, Minister for UK negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe
• Ian Mitchell, Deputy Director External Affairs, Scottish Government

Image source, EUROPEAN PHOTOPRESS AGENCY

Dame Mariot Leslie, former diplomat, member of the Standing Council on Europe says all gesture politics should be avoided in a negotiation.

Standing Council on Europe chair Professor Anton Muscatelli says EU citizens in the UK should have had their rights enshrined

SNP MSP Joan McAlpine ask how the hand holding between the PM and Donald Trump will affect negotiations with the EU.

Dame Mariot Leslie says "Pass" and Prof Muscatelli says he does not want to comment on that.

Greens MSP Ross Greer asks the panel if the proposed arrangements between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could be translated to a differentiated arrangement between Scotland and England.  

Proffessor Muscatelli says that proposed free travel arrangements on the island of Ireland "immiedtaley validates" the Scottish government position on a different approach in Scotland to the rest of the UK.

He says that the main UK border can be maintained but different visa, travel and right to work arrangements could be set up domestically in the UK. 

Professor Sir David Edward agrees that the UK government cannot say that there will be a totally borderless situation in Ireland and say that cannot be applied to Scotland also.

Liberal Democrat Tavish Scott says that there seems to be a big difference between the political landscape where nothing is being confirmed one way or the other, and businesses "simply getting on with their lives" and undertaking informal negotiations already.

Professor Anton Muscatelli says that levels of current informal negotiations are variable depending on the sectors involved. Very integrated businesses, such as the automotive sector, are very worried, he says; telling MSPs that there are real concerns this UK industry will "fall off the edge of a cliff". 

However in some other sectors the transition will be less painful, he says.

Across the board there is "considerable concern" that none of this will be sorted out in the next two years, he says. 

Image source, BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES

Standing Council on Europe chair Professor Anton Muscatelli says the finance sector has said very loudly that they are very worried about Brexit.

Prof Muscatelli says there is such a political imperative to deliver Brexit that the UK government is trying to work behind closed doors. 

Image source, Scottish government

Dame Mariot Leslie says the panel gives advice to the Scottish government.

Dame Mariot says it is "very unfortunate" that the prime minister set aside Scotland's Place in Europe, external in her speech.

She says it is hard to see how serious attention can be given now to the paper in the time left. 

SNP MSP Richard Lochhead says when he was negotiating in Brussels, political agreement could be struck at midnight after no progress.

Mr Lochhead asks what can be achieved for Scotland in negotiations.

Dame Mariot Leslie, former diplomat, member of the Standing Council on Europe says it "is not a free for all".

Dame Mariot says it is not a question of always being able to negotiate anything, if there is political will.

She says the legal frameworks of the EU treaty will have to be revised with the exit of the UK.

The Standing Council on Europe member says to say there will be no change to the legal provisions is wrong.

She says if the UK government refuses to take account of the Scottish Parliament or government then it is very hard to see how progress can be made.

Scottish Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald says that it seems to him that the fundamental challenge in the Scottish government's plan for a "differentiated solution" from the rest of the UK in its relation with the EU is how it is possible to apply two different sets of rules without having to make a choice on which is preferable. 

Professor Muscatelli replies that as 45% of UK exports go to the EU, it is in the UK's interest not to diverge too far from the EU's current regulations. Having a different set of regulations in Scotland would therefore be a "huge advantage" to the whole of the UK, he says. 

He urges the UK government to "tether" its business regulations as closely as possible to the current EU regulations.

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

This time last year few in Westminster really thought that this would happen. The then prime minister's concern was persuading the rest of the EU to give him a better deal for the UK.

His close colleagues believed the chances of them losing, let alone the government dissolving over the referendum, were slim, if not quite zero.

This isn't even the last vote on this bill.

There are several more stages, the Lords are likely to kick up rough at the start.

But after tonight, for better or worse, few will believe that our journey to the exit door can be halted.

Read Laura's blog

Image source, Getty images

Standing Council on Europe chair Professor Anton Muscatelli says the only easy solution would have been to slip from EU membership to EFTA/EEA membership.

A hard Brexit is not an easy solution, he says.  

Standing Council on Europe chair Professor Anton Muscatelli says, in a personal view, that as we know where we are starting from, to avoid "falling off a cliff, then EFTA/EEA may be the best solution.

Professor Sir David Edward says that it is important to appreciate that we are not facing a series of either/or choices.

We are not looking at black and white photographs, he says; arguing that a better description is that the situation is more like looking at a series of moving pictures.

The idea that you are either in or out of the single market, or that there is a customs union that you are in or out of is to "over simplify the issues", he says.  

Sir David gives the example of competition law to underline his point, telling the committee that British companies trading in the EU cannot sell goods without complying with EU standards that come under EU jurisdiction.

Ignoring these realities "is for the fairies" he says.

Image source, bbc

Dame Mariot Leslie says she thinks the Brexit negotiations will be extraordinarilyy diffcult and there is a clock ticking on the divorce settlement.

Dame Mariot says she does not believe the negotiations will start before the Autumn, after the French and German elections.

The government's strategy for Brexit will face scrutiny from politicians and the public for the first time when a white paper is published later.

The paper, which comes after MPs voted to allow the PM to begin the Brexit process, will outline Downing Street's negotiating aims for leaving the EU.

Image source, Thinkstock

MPs backed the European Union Bill by 498 votes to 114 on Wednesday night, with 47 Labour rebels voting against.

The bill will now face more debate before it can become law.

MPs will discuss the bill in more detail next week when it reaches the committee stage in the Commons, and Labour has vowed to force through amendments.

Hundreds of amendments have already been tabled for debate between Monday and Wednesday, with objectives set out in the government's strategy expected to attract more.

Standing Council on Europe chair Professor Anton Muscatelli says that there are difficulties with the timetable on leaving the EU that has been set by the UK government. 

He says it will be "extremely challenging" to negotiate a bespoke deal on trade in two years whilst simultaneously undergoing what is essentially a divorce deal with the European Union.

It is "really unrealistic" to conclude all that in two years, he says.