The Cabinet has agreed to continue Brexit talks with Labour despite pressure on the Prime Minister to scrap the negotiations.
Following a marathon meeting on Tuesday, ministers said cross-party efforts would still go ahead but stressed it was "imperative" for a Brexit deal to get through Parliament by the summer recess.
Ministers spent more than two hours discussing the Brexit situation and despite the apparent lack of progress in talks with Labour decided the process should continue, but with a clear view that "we need to get a move on".
Theresa May's spokesman said there had been an "extensive discussion" on the Brexit talks with Labour, including details of the "compromises" the Government was prepared to consider in order to secure a deal.
He said: "Ministers involved in the negotiations set out details of the compromises which the Government was prepared to consider in order to secure an agreement which would allow the UK to leave the EU with a deal as soon as possible.
"Cabinet agreed to continue discussions with Labour to see what was possible.
"However, it was agreed that it was imperative to bring forward the Withdrawal Agreement Bill in time for it to receive royal assent by the summer parliamentary recess."
No date has been set for the summer recess, but Parliament usually rises near the end of July.
Asked if getting the deal through would also make that Mrs May's exit date, the spokesman said: "What she wants to do is get a deal through by the summer recess.
"She has at the same time said she would step aside once she has completed phase one. But the conversation at Cabinet wasn't about that."
Mrs May and her effective deputy David Lidington - who has been leading the negotiations with Labour - led the Cabinet discussions, but other ministers involved in the talks contributed.
The conversations with Labour had been "difficult", the spokesman said, but ministers were "determined to find a way through" the Brexit impasse.
Asked if there was Cabinet unity, the spokesman said there was a "very clear determination to find a way to resolve this".
Ministers had a "very clear understanding that the British public want the Government to get on with delivering this".
A Cabinet source said Mrs May stressed the need for compromise and said the Government could not give in to "absolutism".
Ahead of today's meeting, the Prime Minister was warned she risks losing the "loyal middle" of the Tory Party if she gives ground to Labour on a customs union.
Some 13 former ministers, together with the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, wrote to Mrs May urging her not to concede Labour's demand, The Times reported.
The signatories were said to include Gavin Williamson, who she sacked as defence secretary, as well as potential leadership contenders Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab.
Their intervention came as Mrs May prepared to brief senior ministers on the state of the talks - which began in April - at the weekly meeting of the Cabinet in Downing Street.
Earlier today, allies of Theresa May attempted to calm Tory fears about the prospect of a damaging split in the party over the Brexit talks with Labour.
Number 10 sources insisted that the Government would not sign up to a "permanent" customs union and any compromise position may only be an "interim" measure.
A Number 10 source said: "We will not sign up to a permanent customs union.
"We are trying to find a compromise on customs as interim position or stepping stone."
The source stressed that both sides in the cross-party talks agreed that no Parliament can bind a future government and pointed out that most EU trade deals have a six-12 month exit clause.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell - who said both he and Jeremy Corbyn were Remainers at heart - claimed there had been no "significant shift" from the Government.
Mr McDonnell also said Boris Johnson's comments on Brexit had not helped cross-party talks.
He said: "We have been at this five weeks, we haven't seen the significant shift yet that we require to be able to support a deal.
"And, let's be absolutely straight, today hasn't helped."
Additional reporting by PA.
