The Prime Minister has been clear that she wishes to minimise disruption to businesses and individuals as the UK leaves the EU. That is why the Repeal Bill is being introduced and why I support it. This bill will transfer EU law, including the case law of the European Court of Justice, into UK law at the point of the UK's departure from the EU. This will make sure that the UK has a functioning statute book when it leaves the EU and it will provide the maximum amount of certainty, control and continuity. 
 
To ensure that power is returned as close as possible to communities as laws are returned to the UK, the Bill will also give ministers in the UK Government and in the devolved administrations a temporary power to make legal corrections to transposed EU legislation. This will be time-limited to two years after exit day. Parliament or the devolved legislatures will also be able to scrutinise any statutory instrument made under this power. I must emphasise that the power could only be used to make corrections to transposed law, for example, by removing references in transposed EU law to the UK as a member state of the EU. The Bill is not a vehicle for major policy changes. 
 
Workers' rights, consumer protection and environmental laws will not change and businesses will benefit from this certainty. Parliament will, of course, be free to keep, amend and repeal laws as it sees fit after the time-limited period is over. There may also be some laws which no longer operate as intended, and the bill will provide the power for corrections to be made so that the UK legal system can continue to operate.
 
I can also confirm that the UK will not convert the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights into UK law. This is because the Charter only applies to EU member states when they act within the scope of EU law, therefore it will no longer be relevant to the UK after withdrawal. This does not mean that the substantive rights of individuals will be affected. The UK will remain a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights because this is entirely separate from the EU.