Legislation paving the way for the government to start the Brexit process has been published.

The bill enabling the government to trigger Article 50 - the formal process for leaving the EU - was produced after the Supreme Court ruled legislation would be necessary.

Brexit Secretary David Davis has said the bill will be "straightforward".

But it is expected to face amendments from MPs and peers, while others have said they will oppose it outright.

The government was forced to draw up the legislation after losing an appeal at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, when judges ruled that Parliament must give permission to start the Brexit process.

On Wednesday Prime Minister Theresa May announced the government would also set out its Brexit plans in a formal policy document.

In the House of Commons, MPs urged Mr Davis to commit to publishing the document, known as a White Paper, before the Article 50 legislation had passed through Parliament.

Mr Davis said the question involved "slightly separate issues".

The Article 50 bill, he said, was "about carrying out the will of the British people", adding that the White Paper would be published "as expeditiously as possible".

The bill is expected to be rushed through both Houses of Parliament within weeks in order to meet the prime ministers deadline for triggering Article 50 by the end of March.

The timetable for debates and votes in the Commons has been announced with second reading to be on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, with committee stage onm the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the following week.

The Liberal Democrats have vowed to oppose Article 50 unless there is a guarantee of another referendum on the final Brexit deal that is agreed with Brussels, while the SNP has vowed to table 50 amendments to the legislation.

Within Labour, pro-EU MPs have indicated they will vote against the legislation even though leader Jeremy Corbyn has insisted his party will not block Article 50.

Taking questions from MPs, Mr Davis also said he disagreed with EU Commission chief negotiator Michel Barniers view that trade talks would have to be handled separately from the Article 50 negotiations.

Such a "sequential approach" would be "not practical", he said, adding that he wanted all negotiations to be completed inside two years.