Brexit: David Davis says EU citizens’ rights priority in talks
Image copyright Getty ImagesCitizens' rights in the UK and Europe will be "the first thing" discussed in Brexit talks, David Davis has said.
He also said the government was working on "a contingency plan" in case a deal on leaving the EU could not be reached.
MPs will debate the Brexit bill on Monday after peers insisted on more protection for EU citizens living in the UK and on a "meaningful vote" on the final terms.
If MPs pass the bill, Theresa May could trigger Article 50 as early as Tuesday.
The Brexit Secretary told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show he believed it was "not remotely likely" that there would be a complete breakdown in negotiations - amid calls from MPs to make sure they are prepared for the worst.
He said: "The simple truth is, we have been planning for the contingency, all the various outcomes, all the possible outcomes. It's not just my team, it's the whole of Whitehall, it's every single department. But, understand, it's the contingency plan. The aim is to get a good outcome."
He wants MPs to reject a proposal by peers for the bill to guarantee a "meaningful" parliamentary vote on the final exit package. Theresa May has said she will take the UK out of the EU even if MPs reject the deal she is offered.
Monday will be the second time MPs debate and vote on the EU withdrawal bill.
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Amendments were made to it last week after they were backed by a majority of peers.
The Lords' demanded protections for the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, and a written guarantee that Parliament will have a "meaningful vote" on the final terms of the UK's departure.
Mrs May has indicated Parliament will get a say, but has said she would rather "walk away" from the EU than accept a "bad deal", and would not return to negotiations if MPs and peers reject the Brexit package.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Davis, said attaching conditions to the bill would undermine the prime minister's negotiating stance, sending her into "this vital negotiation with one hand tied behind her back".
Labour, which claims it is the only party with a "radical vision" for Brexit, has appealed to Mrs May to let the amendments go through.
In a letter sent to the prime minister on Friday, Keir Starmer, shadow Brexit secretary, and Angela Smith, Labour's leader in the Lords, urged Mrs May to "reflect and reconsider on the overwhelming case to act on these two specific issues as this is the final opportunity to put vital guarantees and protections into legislation".
The bill could complete its final stages on Monday if the Lords accepts the decisions made by MPs.
But BBC political correspondent Susana Mendonca said Mr Davis was worried a handful of Conservative MPs might rebel, potentially allowing the amendments to stand.
Even if the bill passes the Commons unchanged, it will go back to the Lords, raising the possibility the amendments will be re-imposed, she added.
