Following two days of extensive debate in the House of Commons, the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, has passed its Second Reading by 326 votes to 290.

The Bill, known as the Repeal Bill, was introduced in the House in July and proceeded to Second Reading last Thursday (07 September), kick starting two days of debate which saw contributions from Members of Parliament on all sides of the House.

The Bill gives effect to the referendum result by repealing the European Communities Act 1972. Its passage marks another significant step towards preparing our statute book for exit day, ensuring that our withdrawal is as smooth and orderly as possible.

Following the vote, Minister for Exiting the EU, Steve Baker said:

Tonight we have taken yet another major step in our work to prepare the UK for our smooth withdrawal from the European Union.

The House of Commons has rightly backed this crucial piece of legislation, giving its support to an orderly exit and helping to provide certainty to businesses, organisations and individuals up and down the country.

We have had two days of informed and vibrant debate and as the Bill proceeds through Parliament we will look with the utmost seriousness at the amendments that are tabled.

It is essential that we work together to deliver a Bill that ensures a functioning legal system outside the EU.

The Bill will move to Committee Stage in the coming weeks as it continues its passage through Parliament.

Updated: Summary of responses added.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is travelling to the Caribbean to visit British Overseas Territories devastated by Hurricane Irma.

The British High Commission hosted a farewell reception for Pengiran Shahyzul Khairuddien Pengiran Abdul Rahman who has been awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarship for the 2017–2018 session and will be pursuing his postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom later this month. The farewell event was held at the Residence of the British High Commissioner to Brunei.

British High Commissioner Richard Lindsay with Shahyzul and his family

Pengiran Shahyzul Khairuddien will be pursuing an LLM at the University College London. He is a Registrar of the Supreme Court and Magistrate of the Subordinate Courts. He was previously Legal Counsel and Deputy Public Prosecutor at the Attorney General’s Chambers from December 2009 to December 2014 before embarking in a career in the Judiciary.

I am truly humbled to have been chosen as a Chevening Scholar. The Chevening community’s reputation as a network and group of international leaders and influencers is unparalleled and this was the main reason why I applied for the scholarship.

Apart from giving me the opportunity to pursue my LLM, I will be able to meet likeminded individuals from a range of disciplines.

I look forward to connecting with other scholars and alumni in the legal profession with whom I can exchange ideas and learn about court reforms which is of vital importance today.

The courts have a major responsibility in ensuring that it keeps up with the demands of the public and businesses in the resolution of business disputes.

Upon returning to Brunei, I intend to apply the knowledge I gain to the ongoing reforms aimed at increasing public and business confidence in the courts specifically through improved procedures and increased expertise in commercial law.

I also look forward to assisting in the development of the legal education landscape in Brunei with my long-term goal of teaching law at university.

British High Commissioner Richard Lindsay with Shahyzul, Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kifli, High Court Justice Dato Paduka Steven Chong and colleagues from the Judiciary

The British High Commissioner H.E. Richard Lindsay, said:

It is a great privilege to be able to award the 2017-18 Chevening Scholarship to Shahyzul so that he can pursue his studies in the UK.

The UK Chevening Scholarship is a long running scheme through which the UK seeks to identify future leaders from Brunei, and all over the world, to be able to pursue a fully funded Masters degree course at one of the UK’s top Universities.

Shahyzul has chosen to study his LLM at University College London, which only this week was ranked 16 in the top 40 world universities in the Times Higher Education list.

The UK has 12 of the top 100 universities in the world, and Shahyzul will join the many Bruneians who have benefitted from a UK university education.

Chevening is a global scheme – and once scholars complete their studies they have a unique network of global contacts through which we hope they will build bridges between countries and retain links with each other, and with the United Kingdom.

British High Commissioner Richard Lindsay, Shahyzul and members of the Chevening Alumni Brunei

The High Commissioner went on to note that applications for the 2018/19 Chevening Scholarships were currently open to citizens and permanent residents of Brunei Darussalam. The ideal candidate would be in early to mid career, with at least 2 years’ work experience and an excellent record of achievement which showed evidence of leadership qualities. Applicants should be committed to returning and contributing to Brunei’s social and economic development by utilising skills and knowledge acquired in the UK.

All those interested in applying for the 2018/19 Chevening scholarship should visit www.chevening.org/Brunei where potential applicants can find information on how to apply, register interest to receive alerts about their application and candidate guidance, as well as to see the priority subjects for Chevening Scholarships. The deadline for applications is 7 November 2016.

Further information

Follow the FCO Chevening Scholarship Scheme on Facebook and Twitter.

Photos from the event can be found on our UKinBrunei Flickr.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

Earlier this morning Parliament took a historic decision to back the will of the British people and vote for a bill which gives certainty and clarity ahead of our withdrawal from the European Union.

Although there is more to do, this decision means we can move on with negotiations with solid foundations and we continue to encourage MPs from all parts of the UK to work together in support of this vital piece of legislation.