After a three-hour debate on Tuesday, for the second time in a week peers amended the legislation that will authorise Theresa May to notify the EU of the UK’s intention to leave and pave the way for official Brexit talks to begin.

The government has suffered a second Brexit defeat in the House of Lords as peers backed, by 366 votes to 268, calls for a “meaningful” parliamentary vote on the final terms of withdrawal.

Backing the move, former deputy PM Lord Heseltine said Parliament must be the “custodian of national sovereignty”.

Ministers said it was disappointing and they would seek to overturn the move when the bill returns to the Commons.

The previous defeat was on the issue of guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens.

The turnout in the Lords for the vote was the largest since 1831, according to Parliament’s website.