Theresa May’s fight to keep control of the process of leaving the EU will face its toughest challenge over the next three days.

On Monday, MPs will start debating more than 100 amendments to her Brexit Bill which would force her to involve them in the two-year negotiations.

MPs have already voted in principle to support giving the PM the power to start the process .

But they now have the chance to put forward amendments to that Bill.

The demands they are making range from forcing the Government to update MPs every two months on the negotations to making it hold a second referendum on the terms of Brexit.

If any of the amendments win the backing of a majority of MPs, they are likely to become law as part of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill .

The Bill must win the approval of MPs before the Prime Minister can notify Brussels of our intention to leave the EU.

For any of the amendments to win majority support, some Tory MPs would have to rebel against the Government and support them.

As the Government only has a slim majority of 16, and fears some Remain campaigners may rebel, Government ministers are reported to be wooing anti-EU Labour MPs to support them.

Three days of debate have been scheduled in the House of Commons from Monday to Wednesday.

This is the timetable for a vital three days for the Government.

  1. Monday : First four hours are scheduled for debate on the right of MPs to scrutinise the process
  2. The next three hours will focus on the involvement of the devolved governments and legislatures in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast
  3. Tuesday : The first four hours debate demands for a second referendum on the terms of Brexit
  4. The next three hours will debate calls for “impact assessments” on a variety of areas
  5. Wednesday : MPs have five hours to debate clauses that would give them power in setting priorities in negotations

These are among the demands they will debate:

Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Kier Starmer speaks in the House of Commons

1. A second referendum on the terms of Brexit

A number of amendments would force the Government to put the final deal back to the people.

2. Ensure both MPs and Lords can vote on the final terms of Brexit with the option of staying in the EU

Crucially, some MPs want to ensure that if a majority don't like the terms of the Brexit deal struck with Brussels that they have the option to stay in the EU at the end of the two-year negotiation.

3. Maintain the rights of EU citizens living and working in the UK today

This is a huge issue for MPs.

There are a series of amendments of different wordings which would force the Government to guarantee that people from the EU currently in the UK can still live and work here before it triggers the start of the Brexit process.

4. Special treatment for Ireland

There are a number of amendments relating to Ireland.

They aimed at ensuring the Irish are not affected by borders or restrictions placed on other EU nationals

These include guaranteeing the preservation of institutions set up as part of the Good Friday Agreement.

5. Call a General Election before triggering Article 50

Among those backing this amendment, which would stop the Government triggering Brexit until there had been a General Election, are Owen Smith, Geraint Davies and Madeleine Moon.

Prime Minister Theresa May

6. Guarantee Parliamentary oversight of negotiations

There are a number of amendments that touch on this but the first is backed by Jeremy Corbyn.

It would require the Government to publish reports at least once every two months on the Brexit negotiations.

It would also require it to provide English translations of documents which the European Council or European Commission has provided to the European Parliament. This is to ensure that MPs have at least as much information as MEPs.

Labour also wants arrangements for parliament to scrutinise confidential documents.

7 Delay triggering Brexit

This amendment would mean that Theresa May could not trigger article 50 before 1st November 2017.

8. Maintain workers rights after Brexit

- Several amendments touch on this but the key change would say that workers rights couldn’t change without the backing of a majority of MPs

9 A series of 16 Plaid amendments relating to Wales that would force the Prime Minister to

  • Give more money to schools and hospitals in Wales
  • Maintain all EU funding for Wales
  • Commit to farm funding in Wales
  • Build new roads in Wales
  • Improve the railways
  • Expand Cardiff Airport
  • Commit to supporting the steel industry
  • Outline a plan to raise wage levels in Wales.
  • Ensuring Wales’ trade with the European Union is not interrupted
  • Commit to maintaining the current level of trade Wales has with the European Union
  • Maintaining the common travel area between Wales and Ireland without security checks
  • Increase financial aid for businesses in Wales
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

10. Maintain environmental standards

A series of amendments would use the Bill to make sure the UK is ready to take on environmental regulation from Brussels before we leave

11. Ensure young Brits can still live and work in Europe

Would require the government to secure the right of young people to live, work, travel and train in other EU countries.

12. Demand a promise from the Government not to let foreign private companies compete with the NHS as part of any trade deal

13. Produce a detailed plan for a transitional arrangement

14 Require the government to negotiate to continue the UK’s participation in Euratom, the European nuclear regulation body

One of a series of amendments that tries to keep leaving the EU separate from the issue of nuclear regulation in Europe

An artist's impression of the planned new nuclear power station at Wylfa Newydd, Anglesey

15. Keep us in the European Economic Area, of which Norway is a member.

Several amendments touch on this with varying degrees of insistence. Owen Smith’s would hand the power to decide on this to Parliament.

16. Competition Policy

This would require the Government to report annually on the consequences of Brexit for competition policy.

In the past, governments have been able to bat away calls for intervention to help businesses on the grounds that it can’t because of EU “state aid” rules. This Labour-drafted amendment would put the Government under pressure to show that it is taking opportunities to help businesses.

17. Force the Government to produce scores of reports for MPs on areas that would be affected by Brexit.

There are many amendments that request reports on areas including:

  • The effect on the financial services industry
  • Europe's police collaboration agency Europol
  • European Chemicals Agency
  • European Police Office
  • European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
  • Community Plant Variety Office
  • European Medicines Agency
  • European Agency for Health and Safety at Work
  • The European Aviation Safety Agency
  • The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
  • The European Police College
  • The European Environment Agency
  • The European Food Safety Authority
  • The European Investment Bank
  • Eurojust – a body which “stimulates and improves the coordination of investigations and prosecutions”.
  • The European Maritime Safety Agency
  • The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
  • The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
  • The European Satellite Centre
  • The Protected designation of origin scheme – this is intended to only allow products that come from a region to be marketed as such.
  • Protected geographical indication (PGI) scheme
  • Traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG) scheme
  • European Arrest Warrant
  • European Research Area
  • Erasmus+ Programme
  • European Health Insurance Card
  • The implications of leaving the Single Market
  • Common Foreign and Security Policy
  • The impact on Gibraltar
  • The impact on our overseas territories and Crown dependencies

18. Another series of amendments would force the Government to negotiate to stay in some or all of the above European bodies

The Joint Ministerial Committee meeting in Cardiff's City Hall
The Joint Ministerial Committee meeting in Cardiff's City Hall

19 Consult the Joint Ministerial Committee (which includes the First Ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)

Several amendments address this.

Jeremy Corbyn has backed one which would require the UK Government to seek consensus with the leaders of the devolved governments on the terms of withdrawal from the EU and the UK’s future relationship with the union.

Others go further and demand the JMC agree to any strategy adopted. Another demands unanimous backing of all First Ministers.

20. Representation of devolved administrations in withdrawal negotiations

This (and other similar amendments) would stop the PM triggering Article 50 without giving the devolved administrations “direct representation in the negotiations”.

Another amendment demands that the devolved assemblies debate the terms of Brexit.

21. Endorsement of the final deal by the devolved assemblies

Plaid's MPs and Green MP Caroline Lucas want the PM to be required to commit to not to proceed with a final agreement unless it is endorsed by the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament.

Caroline Lucas from the Green Party during a visit to Cardiff

22. There are a raft of amendments requiring assessments on:

  • The impact on equality (NC42)
  • The impact of leaving the customs union (NC43)
  • The risks to supply chains (NC44)
  • The impact on environmental protection (NC45)
  • The impact on climate change (NC46)
  • The impact on Research and Development collaboration (NC47)
  • The impact of rescinding membership of EU agencies (NC48)
  • The impact of withdrawal from single market and Customs Union (NC49)
  • The impact on he impact of decisions on women and those with ‘protected characteristics’ (NC98)
  • The impact on the environment (NC101)
  • The impact of divergence in regulations between the UK and the EU (NC102)
  • The impact of leaving the single market and the customs union (NC103)
  • The impact of withdrawal from Free Movement of persons (NC106)
  • The impact on employment training needs (NC107)
  • Financial liability of the UK towards the EU (NC143)
  • The impact on the natural environment (NC152)
  • The impact on chemical regulations (NC153)
  • The impact on the rural economy (NC154)
  • The impact on land management payments (NC155)
  • The impact on rights and opportunities of young people (NC167)
  • The impact of withdrawing from the withdrawing from the European Atomic Energy Community (NC187)

23. Endorsement of trade deals by the devolved assemblies (NC161)

This would require the endorsement of the National Assembly and other devolved parliaments for “any future international trade deal”.

24. Review of the UK constitution (NC162)

The three Plaid and the one Green MPs seek to require the PM to “commit to conducting a review into the constitution of the United Kingdom following the repatriation of powers from the European Union”.

Prime Minister Theresa May stands with the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones AM, prior to a bilateral meeting at the Senedd
Prime Minister Theresa May stands with the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones AM, prior to a bilateral meeting at the Senedd

25. Approval of Brexit white paper (NC51)

Pontypridd MP Owen Smith and Labour colleagues are behind this amendment which requires both Houses of Parliament to approve the Government’s white paper on leaving the EU.

Mr Smith had wanted the white paper to provide full details on the “nature and extent of any tariffs that will or may be imposed on goods and services” and the “terms of proposed trade agreements” as well as the post-Brexit rights of citizens and environmental regulations, as well as estimates of the impact on the economy and unemployment

29. A National Convention (NC162)

Three Labour MPs want a “national convention” established before Brexit which would include representatives from across all levels of devolved and regional government, plus representatives of business organisations and universities, which would recommend negotiating priorities.

30. New Treaties with the European Union (NC18)

Any future treaties made with the European Union must be ratified with the express approval of Parliament. This would stop the Government being able to sign a new treaty using the powers of royal prerogative.

31. Future relationship with the European Union (NC19)

This Labour-backed amendment is about what happens next if Parliament refuses to approve any new deal or treaty. It commits the Government to seeking further time to negotiate an “alternative relationship” with the EU.

If such a commitment isn’t given the Government could tell Parliament that the deal it has negotiated is the only alternative to tumbling out of the EU with no new arrangements and no special relationship agreed.

32. Parliamentary sovereignty (NC28)

This requires the vote on final terms to take place in the House of Commons before the European Parliament votes on the deal.

33. Future relationship with the European Union (NC110)

Any new treaty or relationship with the EU would have to be approved by Parliament “in advance of final agreement with the European Commission, European Parliament or European Council”.

34. Seek guarantees from the EU over what happens if we can’t agree a deal

Once Article 50 is triggered the UK will automatically leave the EU after two years. Several amendment would compel the Government to ask for the process to be suspended if no deal is reached.

35. Conduct of negotiations – anti-tax haven

This aims to stop the Government turning the UK into a post-Brexit tax haven. It would have to maintain “all existing EU tax avoidance and evasion legislation”.

36. Relationship with Europe

Requires the Prime Minister to commit to implementing the Leave Campaign’s pledge to negotiate deal that allows free trade and cooperation between Wales and all European countries before triggering article 50.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier talks with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier talks with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson

37. Differentiated Agreement for Scotland

This SNP amendment would mean that article 50 was delayed until the UK government confirmed that it was seeking a deal that would let Scotland stay in the single market.

38. Trade in goods and services (NC77)

Would make Brexit effectively redundant by requiring the UK Government to agree to follow all the trade rules of the EU

39. Agricultural Sector—Trade Deals (NC104)

Argues that in the deal with the EU special consideration should be paid to the affect on the UK’s agricultural sector.

40. Priority in negotiations: Northern Ireland (NC150)

Brexit should not affect the ability of Northern Ireland to rejoin a united Ireland after a Brexit vote.

41. Consultation with representatives of English regions(NC163)

Requires the Government to designate representatives from English regions and consult them on the UK’s priorities in negotiations on withdrawal from the EU.

42. Membership of the single market including EU-wide reform of freedom of movement (NC183)

This new clause would ensure that the Government must seek reforms to freedom of movement in the single market to enable the UK to seek to retain membership of the single market or as close to membership as possible