Theresa May accepts offer to take part in televised Brexit debate
Video report by ITV News Political Correspondent Libby Weiner
Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have agreed to take part in a televised Brexit debate before the crucial vote on the prime minister's Brexit deal in Parliament.
However the details of the debate, including where it will be shown, are yet to be finalised.
Mrs May has agreed to take part in a debate on the BBC, while the Labour leader has said he was happy with an offer from ITV.
ITV said it will confirm its coverage plans for the week of the Commons vote, due to take place on December 11, "in due course".
An ITV spokesperson said: "As part of this, ITV has invited the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition to appear in an ITV programme. As always, it is up to those invited to decide whether they want to accept the invitation."
The BBC said it hopes "to hear soon from the Labour Party" on whether leader Mr Corbyn will join their event, expected to take place on December 9.
Mr Corbyn told ITV's This Morning: "The ITV offer seemed a sensible one.
"It reaches a wider audience and the timing looked good to me because it's not inconveniencing people who want to watch other things later in the evening.
"One should always have respect for the viewers and also we want to get the widest possible audience."
The I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! final which airs at 9pm on ITV on December 9 and Mr Corbyn said of it: "Maybe I want to watch it myself as well."
ITV News political correspondent Libby Wiener: Is all this a 'dress rehearsal' for a second referendum?
In a tweet on its news press feed, the BBC said: "We've just heard the Prime Minister has accepted the BBC's offer to take part in a debate on the Brexit deal on Sunday December 9.
"We're delighted she's agreed and hope to hear soon from the Labour Party.
"We have been discussing debate formats with both parties and will announce further details soon."
Meanwhile, appearing before the Commons Liaison Committee, the prime minister refused to be drawn on what will happen if her withdrawal agreement with the European Union is voted down in Parliament.
Instead she said her focus is on getting her Brexit deal through the Commons in a crucial vote on December 11.
Asked by Labour MP Rachel Reeves if she could contemplate taking the UK out of the EU in a no deal scenario, "given what we now know" from analysis released by the Bank of England, Mrs May would not confirm one way or another.
She did however warn that if the deal is voted down, some people would need to "take some practical steps" due to the possibility of leaving without a deal.
"If Parliament votes down the deal, there is then a process that is in the legislation for the length of time given for the government to come back and make a statement for the next steps," she said.
"But the timetable is such that actually some people would need to take some practical steps in relation to no deal."
The Prime Minister insisted she was only focused on her deal, telling the committee: "You want to look at all sorts of options and ideas. I think it is important Members of Parliament focus on the nature of this vote.
"This is an important point in our history. It is a vote on which we will be deciding whether we deliver on the decision of the British people.
"What has been made clear from the European Union is that this is the deal that has been negotiated and this is the deal that people need to focus on when they are looking at the vote."
Another Labour MP, Yvette Cooper, pressed her again on the potentiality of a no-deal scenario.
"Knowing you for 20 years, I just don't believe that if your deal goes down, you are the kind of person who would contemplate taking this country into a no deal situation. Am I wrong?" she asked.
May said she believed her deal was a good deal, and that was her focus.
The Prime Minister also again rejected calls for a second referendum, warning it would mean renegotiating the whole deal with the EU.
She said it would not be possible to stage a referendum before March 29 when Britain leaves the EU and that extending the Article 50 process for withdrawal would mean the deal would fall.
"I think it is important for our democracy that we actually deliver on the vote that people took in 2016," she said.
"Any second referendum that would be held, if that were the case, would not be able to be held by March 29 next year. You would have to extend Article 50.
"To extend Article 50, actually you are then in the business of renegotiating the deal.
"What is clear is that any extension to Article 50 - anything like that, re-opens the negotiations - re-opens the deal. At that point, frankly, the deal can go in any direction.