Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans the Government has to negotiate visa free travel between the UK and EU for short leisure and business visits after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by James Duddridge
The European Union has confirmed that it will grant UK nationals visa-free travel for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180 day period - subject to reciprocity.
The Government has also said that we do not intend to require visas for tourists or short term business visitors from the European Union.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent steps the Government has taken to secure a formal agreement with Euratom after the UK leaves the EU and the expiry of the implementation period.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government has been clear that we want the broadest and deepest possible future partnership – covering more sectors and co-operating more fully than any Free Trade Agreement anywhere in the world today. In particular, as confirmed in the Prime Minister’s Mansion House speech, the Government will seek a close association with Euratom. We are pleased that the March European Council agreed guidelines for the next stage of negotiations on this future relationship.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what progress the Government is making in negotiations with the European Union on reciprocal arrangements for health care in the UK and the EU after the (a) UK leaves the EU and (b) expiry of the implementation period.
Answered by Robin Walker
The current structure of EU rules and regulations will apply until the end of the implementation period and this includes reciprocal healthcare arrangements.
The UK and the EU have also agreed on reciprocal healthcare arrangements for the purposes of the Withdrawal Agreement. After the implementation period ends, those who fall within scope of that agreement for social security coordination purposes will be entitled to reciprocal healthcare cover on the terms laid out under that deal.
Reciprocal healthcare rights for individuals not in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement will be a matter for further negotiation with the EU.
At every step of the negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what progress the Government is making in securing the maintenance of mutual recognition of professional qualifications after the UK leaves the EU and the expiry of the implementation period.
Answered by Robin Walker
As the Prime Minister said in her Mansion House speech, the UK is committed to securing a continued system for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications as part of a bold and ambitious future economic partnership with the EU.
The UK has agreed with the EU the continued recognition of qualifications for residents and frontier workers, where recognition decisions were received or where recognition decisions were ongoing before the end of the implementation period. This will cover qualifications recognised under the MRPQ Directive, lawyers practising under host title and approved statutory auditors.
The March European Council agreed guidelines for negotiations on our future relationship, referencing the desire of the EU27 to include ambitious provisions on the recognition of qualifications. This is a useful starting point for the next stage of negotiations on the future economic partnership.
Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the Governments of (a) Norway, (b) Switzerland, (c) Iceland and (d) Liechtenstein on (i) their citizens resident in the UK and (ii) UK citizens resident in those countries after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The UK’s published policy paper, ‘Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU’, stated that we would discuss similar arrangements with Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The Prime Minister reiterated this to the Norwegian Prime Minister in October and in her letter to EU citizens on 11 December 2017.
We have already started constructive official-level scoping talks with all four countries and both the UK and the EFTA states are keen to reach agreement as soon as possible. It is our intention that all EEA and Swiss nationals in the UK, and UK nationals living across the EEA and Switzerland can continue living life broadly as they do now.