Key Brexit legislation to return to Commons ‘within weeks’
KEY Brexit legislation will return before MPs within weeks to ensure “swift progress” can be made, the Commons leader has announced.
Andrea Leadsom said the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will appear again in the Commons “within weeks” following amendments made by peers, but did not confirm any dates.
Mrs Leadsom, providing her weekly update on business in the Commons, said: “With regards to important Brexit legislation, I am confident I will be able to update the House on these bills shortly in the usual way.
“I will make sure the House can make swift progress in a matter of weeks not months in preparing for our new relationship with our friends and neighbours in the EU.”
It has been reported that the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, which transfers EU law into UK law, will return at some stage in June.
Peers inflicted 15 defeats on the government, including in key areas of a customs union and the Irish border.
Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz asked Mrs Leadsom to “confirm what the government chief whip said to the 1922 Committee that the Withdrawal Bill will be back on June 11”.
Ms Vaz claimed the political editor of Sky News, Faisal Islam, was “giving business out”, and said: “This is unprecedented to treat Parliament in this way – business is announced in the media and not in the House.”
But Mrs Leadsom dismissed the suggestion that an announcement had been made.
“I made very clear I aim to bring back the very important Brexit legislation within weeks, certainly within weeks, and (Ms Vaz) will know that in this place the discussions take place and the business is announced through very longstanding conventions, through the usual channels and that is the case on this occasion.
“There has not been any announcement.”
Mrs Leadsom said the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will return “soon after” the Whitsun recess – which ends on June 4, when the House next sits.