Thank you for contacting me about Amendment 7 to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill tabled by Dominic Grieve MP on approval of the final deal with the EU.
The Government has already said that MPs would have at least three formal opportunities to have a say on the UK's withdrawal from the EU in addition to the many debates that take place regularly on this issue in Parliament.
Before the amendment was voted on, my ministerial colleagues confirmed via a written ministerial statement and explicitly in the House that MPs would have a vote on whether to accept the final deal or not as soon as possible after the end of the negotiations. This should take place and before the European Parliament votes on the agreement.
The Prime Minister had also separately promised that a Bill would be brought forward so that the withdrawal agreement reached with the EU could be put into UK domestic law. This would give MPs another chance to debate, scrutinise and vote on the deal reached the EU.
Further agreements reached on the UK and the EU's future relationship would additionally be implemented through legislation where necessary. This would give MPs an opportunity again to scrutinise the deal reached the EU.
I feel the reassurances given by the Government were appropriate and sufficient and were arrived at after considerable deliberation and discussion. The Commons as is its right preferred to support the amendment rather than rely on the reassurances granted. The Minister confirmed in the House this week that the Government is reflecting on the impact of the amendment being carried but does not expect at this point to revisit it when the Bill return to the Commons at Report stage next month.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
