Oral Answers to Questions

Jim Cunningham Excerpts

Monday 11th July 2016 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Crabb]

The Government have not said that they are going to scrap attendance allowance. We are looking at options for devolving it to the local authority level, but we have been absolutely clear that this does not mean a cut to supporting attendance allowance. It is about looking at more effective ways of delivering it at the local level to achieve what it is intended to achieve.

[Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab)]

2. What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on British pensioners living overseas.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr Shailesh Vara)]

There will be no immediate changes, as a result of the referendum, in the circumstances of British pensioners. Negotiations for Britain’s future relationship with Europe will begin under the new Prime Minister.

[Mr Cunningham]

What discussions has the Minister had with European countries about the exchange rate and its effect on pensioners abroad?

[Mr Vara]

As I say, the negotiations proper will begin when we have a new Prime Minister. In the meantime, we have a European unit that has been set up in the Cabinet Office, and it will report to the new Cabinet in due course.