Chris Grayling

The government will seek to keep some EU laws in the areas of environment and workers' rights post-Brexit, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has said.

Speaking on ITV's Peston on Sunday, Mr Grayling said the public wants certainty on the issue of Britain leaving the EU, and endorsed Theresa May's announcement that Article 50 will be triggered before the end of March 2017.

"It's important that we give some certainty about the process," he said.

"Today's announcements are a staging post on the route towards triggering Article 50 and towards holding the negotiations."

The Transport Secretary also said that Britain would have a "sensible" agreement with the EU that allows the UK to continue to trade with the continent; and take control of the flow of people into Britain.

Chris Grayling has been appointed Transport Secretary, Downing Street said.

An MP accused the government of trying to share a "best practice of how to behead" with Saudi Arabia after the Justice Secretary defended the Government's attempt to sell expertise to the country's prison service.

Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan slammed the MoJ bid for the £5.9 million contract.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling defended the move, saying the Government has always tried to encourage "improvements" and "best practice" in countries around the world.

The pair clashed after reports that the MoJ's commercial arm, Just Solutions international, is hoping to sell its expertise to Saudi Arabia's prison service.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling issued an apology to the House of Commons today after informing MPs that telephone calls between prisoners and their constituency Members of Parliament or MPs' offices may have been recorded or in some cases listened to by prison staff.