Spotlight: Cameron says special unit being assembled to pave way for Britain's exit from EU

British Prime Minister David Cameron told a packed House of Commons here Monday that a special unit would be set up to prepare for Britain's exit from the EU following last week's national referendum.

The cabinet met at 10 Downing Street earlier on Monday to agree to the new unit which will bring together officials and policy expertise from the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Foreign Office and Business Department, Cameron said.

"This will be most complex and most important task the British civil service has undertaken in decades. The new unit will sit at the heart of government and be led by and staffed by the best and brightest from across our civil service. It will report to the whole of the cabinet, advising on transitional issues and exploring objectively options for our future relationship with Europe and the rest of the world," said Cameron.

He outlined the procedures being put into place for the "divorce" from the EU.

The two-hour session was the first chance MPs have had to discuss the unexpected Brexit decision after supporters of Remain had expected a narrow victory for their side.

"It was not the result I wanted, nor the outcome I believed is best for the country I love. But there can be no doubt about the result. It is going to be difficult. We have already seen that there are going to be adjustments within our economy, complex constitutional issues, and a challenging new negotiation to undertake with Europe. But I am clear that the decision must be accepted and the process of implementing the decision in the best possible way must now begin," said the prime minister.

Cameron reassured European citizens living in Britain, and British people living in European countries, there would be no immediate changes to their circumstances, or any initial change in the way people travel, or in the way goods can move, or services sold.

He said the deal he negotiated in Brussels in February would now be discarded and a new negotiation to leave the EU would begin under a new prime minister, due to take over in the fall.

During the debate that followed, Scottish National Party MP Angus Robertson said "we have no intention whatsoever of seeing Scotland taken out of Europe. We are a European country and we will stay a European country, and if that means we have to have an independence referendum to protect Scotland's place, then so be it."

Scotland, along with Northern Ireland and London voted to remain in the bloc, with virtually the whole of England and Wales supporting Brexit. Endit