In the House of Commons during Cabinet Office Questions on July 9, Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan MP sought assurances from the Paymaster General that the process of the UK leaving the EU will not be allowed to fall because of the time needed to complete the “very complex” EU ratification processes.

Dame Cheryl asked Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP: “With both sides being confident that a deal can take place by the end of the year, the EU ratification process actually means that in practical terms agreement probably needs to be reached by the end of October.

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"Now, ratification in the UK can take place relatively quickly. Can I ask the Minister what guarantees she has received from Michel Barnier that the EU will not allow a deal to fall because of the time it will take to complete the very complex EU ratification processes?”

Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP replied: “All sides are very aware of the timetable we need to operate and that is why we want to increase the pace of discussions and focus on those remaining issues.

"But we are not going to extend the negotiations and we are determined that any ratification in practical measures that need to be put into place can be done by the end of the year.

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"That is absolutely critical and that is why we want to conclude these negotiations swiftly.”

Commenting on the statement which follows the Fourth round of Brexit negotiations Dame Cheryl added: “The Fourth round was cut short because of a Belgian Bank Holiday. I am encouraging Ministers to ensure that they intensify the talks and work throughout the holiday period so that when a deal is reached both individuals and businesses have time to prepare against a background of certainty.”