MPs back formal Brexit talks timetable

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The final amendment is moved by Labour's Lord Faulkner of Worcester. His amendment would ensure that nothing in the act would "prevent a young person from working as a volunteer on a heritage railway."

He urges the government to find a solution to "this very significant problem".

Conservative Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts supports the amendments. He expresses "astonishment" that a law from 1920s, designed to prevent the exploitation of young people, could stop them from volunteering on industrial heritage projects.

The minister Lord Ashton of Hyde tells peers that he has asked the Office of Rail and Road to look into this issue.

Lord Faulkner hopes the government will amend the 1920 act and withdraws his amendment.

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Crossbencher Lord Cromwell says his amendment deals with "the dark side" of this bill. 

He notes that the bill requires NCS schemes to inform the government if it is in financial difficulties. He asks why that is not the case if there have been allegations of child abuse.

Lord Ashton of Hyde replies that if there are such allegations the scheme should contact the police. Informing the Secretary of State is not "an appropriate alternative" he says.

Having received assurances that the government will bring forward an amendment on this issue at a later stage and noting the late hour Lord Cromwell chooses not to push his amendment to a vote.

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Lib Dem Lord Shipley now speaks to his amendment which states that the NCS trust should have sufficient funds to ensure that young people with disabilities can take part in their programmes.

Labour's Baroness Royall supports the amendment and gives peers an example of a boy being denied access to a NCS scheme because he used a wheelchair.

The minister Lord Ashton of Hyde tells peers that the trust has a duty to make all their schemes accessible.

He adds that the government will bring forward an amendment requiring the trust to specify the number of participants with a disability.

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Culture, Media and Sport Minister Lord Ashton of Hyde tells Lord Cormack that he can only offer "a small crumb of comfort, if at all".

He tells peers that the NCS trust is "not resourced" to provide a pilot national citizenship scheme.

He adds that the NCS trust should not be "diverted" from its primary task.

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Conservative Lord Cormack is speaking to his amendment which seeks to establish a pilot programme for a national citizenship scheme open to 15-18-year olds leading to a graduation ceremony on completion. 

He argues that the scheme could provide "enormous value" and be "administered at little cost".

He tells the government he is looking for "a crumb of comfort" in their response. 

Debate on the Policing and Crime Bill is now adjourned and peers will now consider the National Citizen Service Bill.

The National Citizen Service (NCS) was set up in 2011 under the coalition and is open to 16-17-year olds in England.

NCS consists of courses involving activities, developing life skills, and participating in social action.

The Bill puts NCS on a permanent statutory footing, incorporating the NCS Trust as a Charter body.

 The Bill also imposes a level of government control on the NCS Trust as a publicly funded body. 

Baroness Chisholm tries to assure peers that the government is committed to tackling doping.

She says they are currently looking into the evidence to see if further sanctions are needed.

She hopes peers will "bear with us for a little while longer".

"With a heavy heart" Lord Moynihan withdraws his amendment.

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Another former Olympian Lord Campbell of Pittenweem makes a confession. 

He tells peer that in his running career he once broke the amateur rules. During a bank holiday meet he was given five pounds more than his legitimate expenses. 

Cries of "shame" come from his fellow peers. 

A busy day in the House of Commons comes to an end and MPs adjourn for the evening.

They return bright and early at 9.30am tomorrow for questions to the attorney general; women and equalities ministers; and the Leader of the House.

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Culture, Media and Sport Minister Tracey Crouch responds to the debate - saying that it is a pleasure to be able to reflect on success and give credit where it is due. 

She says that she feels "pretty lucky" to be the minister for sport in a "golden era" of such success for these great players. 

Ms Crouch joins other MPs in praising Scottish player Gordon Reid for recently achieving the world number one spot in wheelchair tennis.   

She says that she thought sibling rivalry in her childhood was something but remarks that it must be quite special in the Murray household where one brother holds two Wimbledon titles but the other one got there first.  

"Given that my sister is not in a position to answer back I think it is only fair that the record shows that I always won" she says, laughing. 

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Conservative peer and former Coxswain Lord Moynihan now speaks to his amendment on national anti-doping provisions. 

His amendment would criminalise doping, making it illegal for an athlete to take a banned substance with the intention of enhancing his performance.  

He tells peers that cheats who take an "enchilada of performance-enhancing drugs knowingly shred the dreams of clean athletes with every needle they inject."

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The SNP's Steven Paterson is now leading the adjournment debate on the sporting legacy of Andy and Jamie Murray.

Andy and Jamie Murray are sibling tennis players who won in both the singles and doubles ATP World Tour Finals this year.

Both brothers finish the year as the number one ranked tennis players in their respective categories in the world. 

Judy Murray, Andy and Jamie Murray's mother, has said she wants to secure a national legacy for their success

Ms Murray would like to establish a world-class coaching facility near Dunblane at the Park of Keir, but the proposed development was turned down by Stirling council after objections from protesters.

The future of the project now rests on the result of a public inquiry, held in September, which has yet to report.

Baroness Wiliams of Trafford says the government will be interested in any research coming out of Scotland.

However, she currently believes that a lower limit would be "counter-productive", arguing that it would stretch enforcement resources and prevent police from catching "the most dangerous" drivers.

The amendment is withdrawn.

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Conservative Baroness Berridge now speaks to an amendment which seeks to reduce the legal limit of alcohol in the blood for drivers.

Green Party peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb says that the lowering limit is "the biggest incentive" to reduce drink driving. 

Conservative Earl Attlee opposes the amendment. He says everyone agrees that alcohol in the blood adversely affects people's driving. 

However he wants the government to wait until the results of an experiment on lowering the limit in Scotland are known. 

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Baroness Chisholm seeks to assure peers that the government is "alive to the concerns" about gaming machines.

She says that the government is currently holding a review into such machines and suggests it would be best to wait for the review to conclude before creating new regulations. 

She also warns against introducing "piecemeal reform" which she fears could lead to "unintended consequences".

Lord Beecham withdraws his amendment. 

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The debate has come to an end and MPs divide to vote on the government's amendment to the Labour motion.

The amendment accepts the wording of the Labour motion that calls for the government to publish its plan for leaving the EU before triggering Article 50, but adds at the end that this must be:

Quote Message: consistent with the principles agreed without division by this House on 12 October; recognises that this House should respect the wishes of the United Kingdom as expressed in the referendum on 23 June; and further calls on the Government to invoke Article 50 by 31 March 2017"

consistent with the principles agreed without division by this House on 12 October; recognises that this House should respect the wishes of the United Kingdom as expressed in the referendum on 23 June; and further calls on the Government to invoke Article 50 by 31 March 2017"