Four different versions of the law giving Theresa May the power to start Brexit have already been prepared as ministers brace themselves for Supreme Court defeat this week.

Drafts have been circulating in an attempt to make sure the Government is ready for every eventuality when the 11 Supreme Court judges announce their ruling on Tuesday.

The Acts of Parliament have been kept as short as possible to make sure Mrs May is given the power to trigger Article 50 as soon as possible if needed.

They range from a “belt and braces” law that will make explicit that Britain is leaving more than a dozen EU agencies – such as Euratom, which controls the nuclear energy market – to the simplest wording possible.