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  European Union (Withdrawal) Bill - Clause 14 - Interpretation - Power of Ministers to Set Exit Day
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  
  @ MP voted aye to allow ministers to change the date for the  United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union to bring it into line with a date in the withdrawal agreement. 
  @ MP voted no not to allow ministers to change the date for the  United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union to bring it into line with a date in the withdrawal agreement. 
  
  The majority of MPs voted to allow ministers to change the date for the  United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union to bring it into line with a date in the withdrawal agreement. 
  
  MPs were considering the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill[1].
  
  The motion supported by the majority of MPs in this vote was:
  
  :That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 39
  
  Lords amendment 39[2] stated:
  
  :Page 11, line 38, leave out subsections (2) to (5) and insertâ
   	
  :â(2)    In this Actâ
  :(a)    where a Minister of the Crown appoints a time as well as a day as exit day (see paragraph 19 of Schedule 7), references to before, after or on that day, or to beginning with that day, are to be read as references to before, after or at that time on that day or (as the case may be) to beginning with that time on that day, and
   	
  :(b)    where a Minister of the Crown does not appoint a time as well as a day as exit day, the reference to exit day in section 1 is to be read as a reference to the beginning of that day.â
  
  The Lords amendment sought to amend the elements of the definition of "exit day" related phrases in Clause 14 of the Bill[3]. The primary definition was included within sub-clause (1) and stated:
  
  :âexit dayâ means 29 March 2019 at 11.00 p.m. (and see subsections (2) to (5));
  
  and subsections 2-5, which the rejected amendment sought to leave out, stated:
  
  :(2) In this Act references to before, after or on exit day, or to beginning with exit day, are to be read as references to before, after or at 11.00 p.m. on 29 March 2019 or (as the case may be) to beginning with 11.00 p.m. on that day.
  :(3) Subsection (4) applies if the day or time on or at which the Treaties are to cease to apply to the United Kingdom in accordance with Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union is different from that specified in the definition of âexit dayâ in subsection (1).
  :(4) A Minister of the Crown may by regulationsâ
  :(a) amend the definition of âexit dayâ in subsection (1) to ensure that the day and time specified in the definition are the day and time that the Treaties are to cease to apply to the United Kingdom, and 
  :(b) amend subsection (2) in consequence of any such amendment.
  :(5) In subsections (3) and (4) âthe Treatiesâ means the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
  
  Explanatory notes to Lords amendment 37[4] stated:
  
  :Lords Amendments 37 and 39 would change the definition of exit day in the Bill. As introduced to the Lords, references to âexit dayâ in the Bill refer to 11pm on 29th March 2019. The Lords Amendments would mean that references to âexit dayâ instead refer to an as yet unappointed day that the Minister may by regulations appoint.
  
  :The Lords Amendments would also remove from the Bill the ability to amend the definition of exit day if the day or time on or at which the EU Treaties are to cease to apply to the UK is different from that specified in the Bill (in which case Ministers are currently permitted to change exit day to the new day or time). 
  
  The primary impact of amendment 39 alone would have been to remove the power of ministers to change exit day to correspond with the day and time set in an agreement under Article 50(2) of the Treaty on the European Union[5]. 
  
  
  ==
  
  * [1] [https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/europeanunionwithdrawal.html Parliament's webpage on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill]
  * [2] [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2017-2019/0212/hcb212withoutendorsement.8-14.html Page of amendment sheet containing Lords amendments 37 and 39]
  * [3] [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2017-2019/0079/lbill_2017-20190079_en_2.htm#pb6-l1g14 Clause 14 of the version of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill referred to by the amendment sheet]
  * [4] [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2017-2019/0212/en/18212en12.htm Explanatory notes to Lords amendment 37, Parliament.uk website, 22nd May 2018]
  * [5] [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A12012M%2FTXT Treaty on the European Union]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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