“As you know, we have 21 sitting days to conclude our task, and we are therefore looking forward to a public evidence session with the relevant Government Minister in September 2026.” Under the CRAG process, the UK Government cannot ratify a treaty unless it has first laid a signed copy before Parliament for 21 sitting days, along with an explanatory memorandum. The clock on the 21-day countdown started when the treaty was laid in the UK Parliament, but the summer recess started two days later. That means that when MPs and peers return on September 1, there will still be 19 sitting days during which the agreement can be debated. For the CRAG procedure in respect of the Gibraltar treaty, that leaves 12 sitting days in September before the conference recess and another seven after MPs return in October.