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Brexit: Government studies handed to MPs amid secrecy row Brexit: Government studies handed to MPs amid secrecy row
(35 minutes later)
MPs will see for the first time later documents which have been at the centre of a long-running row about parliamentary scrutiny of Brexit. Parliament is being treated with contempt over the partial release of Brexit documents, Labour has claimed.
Studies of how the UK's exit will affect 58 sectors of the economy have been handed to a Commons committee but MPs will not get to see some parts. MPs will see for the first time later studies of how the UK's exit will affect 58 sectors of the economy, but certain sections will not be released.
The government says market-sensitive information must remain confidential. Ministers say they are being as "open as possible" but some sensitive details which risk "undermining the UK's negotiating hand" will be kept private.
Committee chair Hilary Benn said he had given ministers assurances but it was "his job" to decide what was published. Labour said the will of Parliament was being ignored and transparency ditched.
After a closed-doors session in Westminster, Mr Benn said its members would view the documents in private The 850-pages of documents - which MPs demanded be published in a vote earlier this month - has been handed to the Commons and Lords Brexit committees, whose members will begin to study it in private later.
The committee, he added, had yet to take on a view on whether ministers were in breach of parliamentary rules by not publishing the full studies but he would summon Brexit Secretary David Davis to appear before them to explain his actions as a "matter of urgency". Brexit minister Robin Walker said he hoped the "accessible and informative" material would be made available to all MPs in due course - in a reading room - but defended the removal of commercially sensitive details which he suggested could damage the UK's negotiating strategy.
But Labour MP Hilary Benn, who chairs the Brexit committee, said it was "their job" to decide what was published and he objected to the suggestion it could not be trusted to respect confidentiality.
What is in the documents?What is in the documents?
There has been huge speculation about what is in the Brexit papers, which reportedly run to 800 pages.There has been huge speculation about what is in the Brexit papers, which reportedly run to 800 pages.
Until now only senior ministers and civil servants knew what was in them. Until now only senior ministers and civil servants knew what was in the papers, which were kept in a safe overnight in several lever arch folders.
The Commons and Lords Brexit committee will starting reading them in private later, while they have also been shared with the Scottish and Welsh governments and Northern Irish officials.The Commons and Lords Brexit committee will starting reading them in private later, while they have also been shared with the Scottish and Welsh governments and Northern Irish officials.
But there are bits which they won't be able to see because they have either been handed over with bits blacked out, or not been handed over by ministers.But there are bits which they won't be able to see because they have either been handed over with bits blacked out, or not been handed over by ministers.
The BBC's economics editor Kamal Ahmed says he has been told that the reports are not - as has been claimed by some - in-depth "impact assessments".The BBC's economics editor Kamal Ahmed says he has been told that the reports are not - as has been claimed by some - in-depth "impact assessments".
He says they will not put a figure on the costs to different industries if there is no comprehensive free trade agreement between the UK and EU after the UK leaves in March 2019.He says they will not put a figure on the costs to different industries if there is no comprehensive free trade agreement between the UK and EU after the UK leaves in March 2019.
The government says the reports will show the size of each of the sectors, their worth to the UK economy and how they are regulated at the moment within the EU single market and customs union.The government says the reports will show the size of each of the sectors, their worth to the UK economy and how they are regulated at the moment within the EU single market and customs union.
Why are they incomplete?Why are they incomplete?
In a letter to the Commons committee, Brexit Secretary David Davis said certain details were being kept private because there was no guarantee all of the 21 MPs on the committee would keep them secret.In a letter to the Commons committee, Brexit Secretary David Davis said certain details were being kept private because there was no guarantee all of the 21 MPs on the committee would keep them secret.
A "successful outcome" to the talks "requires keeping some information confidential", he argued.
One Conservative member of the committee, Craig McKinlay, has backed this stance, suggesting some of his fellow committee members may "use this information against the national interest".One Conservative member of the committee, Craig McKinlay, has backed this stance, suggesting some of his fellow committee members may "use this information against the national interest".
The cross-party committee, he told the BBC, was "deeply divided" between those "refighting the referendum" and those who want to "move on" and he trusted the government to decide what information to share.The cross-party committee, he told the BBC, was "deeply divided" between those "refighting the referendum" and those who want to "move on" and he trusted the government to decide what information to share.
"If we get this wrong, it could cost the country billions," he told BBC Radio 4's Today."If we get this wrong, it could cost the country billions," he told BBC Radio 4's Today.
What's all this talk of contempt of Parliament?What's all this talk of contempt of Parliament?
Earlier this month, MPs voted for the documents to be released, although Conservative MPs abstained.Earlier this month, MPs voted for the documents to be released, although Conservative MPs abstained.
Ministers claim the analysis "does not exist in the form Parliament requested" and claim they have satisfied the terms of the parliamentary motion, but Labour disagrees and says the MPs' decision was clearly "binding".Ministers claim the analysis "does not exist in the form Parliament requested" and claim they have satisfied the terms of the parliamentary motion, but Labour disagrees and says the MPs' decision was clearly "binding".
Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer says the government "accepted" the decision at the time and "if they are changing their position now, they are going to have to explain that".Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer says the government "accepted" the decision at the time and "if they are changing their position now, they are going to have to explain that".
"It was clear that these reports, unredacted [and] in full should be handed over.""It was clear that these reports, unredacted [and] in full should be handed over."
While the full picture was not clear yet, he said it "could be a question of contempt of Parliament".While the full picture was not clear yet, he said it "could be a question of contempt of Parliament".
What does that mean? Bringing Parliament into contempt is an ancient term used to describe any act - or failure to act - that may prevent or hinder the work of either House of Parliament. In theory, any MP could ask the Speaker to rule on whether it is contempt of Parliament and decide whether to refer it to the Committee on Standards and Privileges for investigation. It would ultimately be up to MPs as a whole to decide what action to take, but such a process would take many months.
In theory, any MP could ask the Speaker to rule on the matter and decide whether to refer it to the Committee on Standards and Privileges for investigation. It would ultimately be up to MPs as a whole to decide what action to take, but such a process would take many months.
Laura Kuenssberg's take on the rowLaura Kuenssberg's take on the row
Only after the Commons vote did chatter really emerge that the problem was not necessarily that the government was trying to cover up the assessments because they were the stuff of nightmares.Only after the Commons vote did chatter really emerge that the problem was not necessarily that the government was trying to cover up the assessments because they were the stuff of nightmares.
Instead, part of the issue was, in the words of one official, that the work was "embarrassingly thin".Instead, part of the issue was, in the words of one official, that the work was "embarrassingly thin".
Cue panic, it's suggested in Whitehall, to cobble together in some areas reports that look like serious pieces of work and in other areas to scrape away anything that looks just too grim. Cue panic, it's suggested in Whitehall, to cobble together in some areas reports that look like serious pieces of work and in other areas to scrape away anything that looks just too grim...
Reading between the lines, it seems that in some departments serious work was done - work that the government has felt necessary to edit judiciously.
But in others, no real heavy lifting was done, so something had to be scrambled...
What happens next?
The committee, chaired by Labour's Hilary Benn, met in closed session on Tuesday morning when it discussed the documents.
The papers, which were kept in a safe overnight in several lever arch folders, will need to be photocopied so MPs will not be able to see them until later.
It remains to be seen whether MPs chose to break ranks and go public afterwards with what they've seen.
Among the committee members are a number of vocal opponents of Brexit including Labour MPs Pat McFadden, Emma Reynolds and Seema Malhotra and the SNP's Joanna Cherry. But it is counter-balanced by passionate Brexiteers, including Tories Christopher Chope, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Peter Bone.