Government 'focused on winning Article 50 legal appeal' amid reports of contingency bill
The Government has said it is focused on winning a Supreme Court appeal against the High Court's Article 50 ruling, amid reports it is preparing a draft bill in case its appeal is unsuccessful.
A senior government source told Sky News that the draft bill is being drawn up to keep Theresa May's timetable for triggering Article 50 on track, in case parliament is ultimately granted a vote on the EU divorce proceedings.
A government spokesman, however, refused to confirm the existence of such a draft bill.
"I'm not going to be drawn into commenting on the ins and outs of government and the work that's going on in government," the spokesman said.
"What I have been clear about, and the government has been clear about,is that the focus of the work is on this Supreme Court hearing."
The spokesman also told reporters that the government is convinced it has "strong legal arguments" to secure a Supreme Court appeal victory.
The Government is also reportedly considering other contingency measures in case its appeal fails, including triggering formal EU Brexit discussions through a so-called statutory instrument or a resolution.
Brexit Secretary David Davis is scheduled to brief MPs on the High Court case in a House of Commons address on Monday afternoon.
Mr Davis will underscore the government's resolve to win the Supreme Court appeal and stick to its March deadline for triggering Article 50.