FILE PHOTO: European Union and British flags flutter in front of the chancellery ahead of a visit of British Prime Minister Theresa May in Berlin, Germany, April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

(Reuters) - Britain's emergency preparations for a no-deal Brexit have been halted "with immediate effect", as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's deal to leave the European Union is expected to be approved by members of parliament, Sky News reported here on Monday.

Civil service chiefs working on the contingency plans, known as Operation Yellowhammer, have been asked to stand down, Sky News reported, citing a letter by a senior official at the Department for Exiting the EU.