Free movement of people between Britain and the European Union will end in March 2019 when Britain leaves the bloc, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said.

Last week Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said there should be no immediate change to immigration rules when Britain leaves the bloc and Home Secretary Amber Rudd also backs transitional arrangements.

However, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said unregulated free movement of labour after Brexit would "not keep faith" with the EU referendum result and that the cabinet had not agreed a stance on immigration.

"Free movement will end in March 2019," Mrs May's spokesman told reporters, adding that the government had already set out some details including proposals on EU citizens' rights post-Brexit.

"Other elements of the post-Brexit immigration system will be brought forward in due course, it would be wrong to speculate on what these might look like or to suggest that free movement will continue as it is now."

After members of Mrs May's top team have appeared to contradict each other in recent days over the government's Brexit plans, the spokesman also said the government position on Brexit remains as set out by the Prime Minister in January.

Details of a post-Brexit implementation period were a matter for negotiations, he added, but Britain is not seeking an "off-the-shelf" solution.

The Financial Times reported last week that Mr Hammond hoped for an "off-the-shelf" transition deal.

Since Mrs May's failed gamble on a snap election last month, the future of Brexit has been thrown into question with squabbling between her ministers over the pace, tone and terms of the UK’s departure from the club it joined in 1973.

Mrs May, who today interrupted a three-week holiday to attend a World War I commemoration ceremony, has faced public pressure to temper her plans for a clean break from the EU.

The level of discord is such that one opposition politician spoke of "civil war" within the government over Brexit and some of the bloc's most powerful politicians have even raised the prospect of Britain scrapping Brexit.

Mrs May has repeatedly said Brexit will take place as scheduled in late March 2019.