Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said 3,500 troops will be "held at readiness" to help with a no-deal Brexit.

Speaking in the Commons, he said: "We've as yet not had any formal request from any Government department but what we are doing is putting contingency plans in place, and what we will do is have 3,500 service personnel held at readiness - including regulars and reserves - in order to support any Government department on any contingencies they may need."

Mr Williamson was replying to Tory MP Will Quince (Colchester), who asked him to confirm if there had been approaches from other Government departments about using the UK's "world-class armed forces personnel in the event of a no-deal Brexit".

Read more: Theresa May's Cabinet orders no-deal Brexit plans to be implemented

Labour have been accused of "playing games" after tabling a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a motion calling on MPs to declare they have "no confidence in the prime minister due to her failure to allow the House of Commons to have a meaningful vote straight away" on the Brexit deal.

However, the motion focuses on Theresa May personally rather than the Government - meaning there is no statutory requirement for it to be debated and voted on.

Tory former minister Sir Edward Leigh, raising a point of order, said: "The Fixed Term Parliament Act is absolutely clear that if Her Majesty's Opposition table a motion of no confidence in the Government an immediate debate has to be held and, indeed, if the Opposition had tabled such a motion last night, we would now be discussing a motion of no confidence in the Government.

"The problem for the leader of the Labour Party is that he does not want an immediate motion of no confidence because if, as is likely it was lost, he'd be forced by his party to go for a referendum, so they're playing games."

Speaker John Bercow, responding to an earlier point of order from shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz, said: "I should make it clear that there is a strong convention the Government provides time at an early opportunity for a no confidence motion in Her Majesty's Government if tabled by the official Opposition, however, and this is important, no such convention applies in relation to this particular motion, which is not a conventional no confidence motion, so that's where things stand."

Jeremy Corbyn has become "the midwife of Brexit" by failing to call a no confidence vote in the Government, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has told the Commons.

Speaking during an emergency debate on the EU Withdrawal Agreement, Mr Blackford said: "The leader of the opposition has become the midwife for Brexit.

"The leader of the opposition is letting the Government off the hook - he has it in his gift to bring a forward a no confidence motion that will test the will of the House and, crucially, will allow his party to move onto the issue of a People's Vote.

"Yesterday's stunt was an embarrassment. The SNP and others sought to amend his motion and I am asking him to do what he spectacularly failed to do yesterday and bring forward a motion of no confidence in the Government."

SNP MP Angus Brendan MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar), raising a further point of order about Labour's confidence motion, said: "Is it possible for a backbench MP to table a motion of no confidence in Her Majesty's Opposition, given the mess they have made of tabling the motion of no confidence, confusing even their own backbenchers?"

"So, two motions of no confidence, one in the Government and one in that lot over there," he added.

Mr Bercow responded by saying he was "not aware of any precedent for what he cheekily suggests".

Tory former minister Anna Soubry, raising another point of order on the issue, said: "Have you had any communication from Her Majesty's Opposition to assist them in the correct procedure and is it the case that you and your excellent clerks are always available to Her Majesty's Opposition should they seek any information or advice on how to conduct themselves as a proper functioning opposition?"

Mr Bercow responded: "The chair is always available to offer advice."

As a member of the Privy Council, Mr Blackford said he had seen details of the impact of a no deal Brexit but was sworn to secrecy and urged the Government to publish the "sobering" details.

He said: "The information shared with me should now be made public. It is sobering.

"The first job of any Government is to protect the interests of its people.

"This Government is wilfully exposing its citizens to risk, whether it is on job security, procurement of medicines, food supply or indeed on aircraft being able to take off.

"We have to wake up to the impact of Brexit and the options that are in front of us."