Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the reported comments of the European Commission's Chief Negotiator Michael Barnier at the conclusion of the round two Brexit negotiation talks on 20 July 2017, what points of divergence there are between the EU negotiating position and the UK negotiating position on (a) the rights of future family members and (b) the exports of certain social benefits; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robin Walker
There is much common ground between the UK’s and the EU’s positions on citizens’ rights. We are both clear that we want to protect the broad range of rights and entitlements currently enjoyed by both EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU. While there are, naturally, points on which our positions differ, we are confident we can reach agreement early in the negotiations.
The Citizens’ Rights Working Group completed a mapping of the areas of alignment and divergence between the EU and UK positions, to prioritise future discussions. It can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joint-technical-note-on-the-comparison-of-eu-uk-positions-on-citizens-rights.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July to Question 3564, on Immigration: EU Nationals, whether UK nationals who have rights under the Surinder Singh principle will continue to enjoy those rights once the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
The details of the settled status scheme put forward in the Government’s policy paper “Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU” (Cm 9464) will be subject to negotiations. We will publish detailed eligibility criteria and requirements in due course.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to paragraph 6 of his Department's policy paper Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, published on 26 June 2017, what rights will be accorded to frontier workers who work in the UK but live in another EU Member State.
Answered by Robin Walker
We want to reach a reciprocal agreement for EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU as quickly as possible. We have now held positive and constructive discussions with the European Union on the issue of frontier workers.
We have agreed those qualifying as frontier workers at the day of exit will be included within the final Withdrawal Agreement, in order to protect their ability to continue to live their lives broadly as they do now. The UK will reflect further on what technical definition should be applied in order to categorise a frontier worker and both the UK and the EU will consider how this will work and be applied in practice.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to paragraph 49 of his Department's policy paper entitled Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, published on 26 June 2017, what healthcare arrangements have been set out in EU Regulations and domestic law for UK nationals and EU citizens that the Government will seek to protect and guarantee.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
During negotiations and as part of a reciprocal deal, we are looking to protect the healthcare rights of both UK-insured individuals who are living in the EU and of EU-insured individuals who are living in the UK before the specified date.
The UK will seek to protect the reciprocal healthcare arrangements which enable UK residents to obtain a European Health Insurance Card, allowing them to benefit from free, or reduced cost, needs-arising healthcare while on a temporary stay in the EU.
The UK is also seeking to protect EU healthcare arrangements that enable those who have moved to the EU and continue to receive a UK benefit or draw a UK state pension to receive healthcare cover by the UK in their country of residence.
We will also seek to protect EU citizens’ eligibility for NHS funded healthcare in the UK and vice versa for UK nationals in the EU. Those who present valid documentation receive treatment on the NHS, the cost of which is reimbursed to the UK by the member state which provides the individual’s insurance.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2017 to Question 3557, whether (a) EU and (b) non-EU family members who join eligible EU citizens before (i) the specified date and (ii) the UK leaves the EU will be able to apply for settled status after five years.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Family members of eligible EU citizens (either EU citizens or non-EU nationals) who are resident in the UK before exit will be eligible to apply for settled status after five years, irrespective of the specified date.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2017 to Question 3560, whether non-UK EU nationals who have previously lived in the UK but have been absent for more than two consecutive years will have the right to move back to the UK to start accruing years of residence and be eligible for settled status.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Those who have been living in the UK for five years before the specified date and want to continue to make the UK their home will be able to apply for settled status to stay indefinitely after we exit.
Those who have already lived in the UK for over five years and hold permanent residence status under EU law, but were not present at the time of the specified date, will still be eligible for settled status if that absence was less than two consecutive years.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2017 to Question 3786, what assessment he has made of the level of rights protection offered to UK citizens in other EU Member States as proposed in the Brexit: negotiating directives issued on 22 May 2017 by the European Council, compared with the offer outlined in his Department's policy paper, Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, published on 26 June 2017; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
We have published a joint technical note, with the EU, on the comparison of UK and EU positions on citizens’ rights. There is much common ground between the two positions, a clearer understanding on the detail of the positions, and significant convergence on the key issues that really matter to citizens.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to paragraph 6 of his Department's policy paper entitled Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, published on 26 June 2017, what rights the Government will seek to guarantee for UK nationals who work in one EU Member State but live in another EU Member State or the UK.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
We have been clear that we expect the EU to ensure that life for UK nationals in the EU continues much as it does now, in the same way that we are doing for EU nationals in the UK. This must therefore include the ability to work in one Member State but live in another, for those to whom this applies.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2017 to Question 3557, if during the negotiations on the UK's exit from the EU, he will seek for UK citizens in the EU after the specified date to have the right to bring their family members into the country of residence in accordance with current EU rules.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
As set out in our policy paper of 26 June, we want to provide as much certainty as possible to the three million EU citizens in the UK and the one million UK nationals in the EU, and for their lives to continue broadly as they do now. The precise rules around family reunion will be a matter for negotiations.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to paragraph 6 of his Department's policy paper Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, published on 26 June 2017, whether a child born after the specified date to a lawful EU resident who arrived in the UK before the specified date will be eligible for settled status.
Answered by Robin Walker
Children of EU citizens who hold settled status and are born in the UK will automatically acquire British citizenship. EU resident parents who arrived before the specified date, but who need to apply for permission to stay post-exit in order to meet the five year residence requirement, will also need to apply for the same permission on behalf of their child when their child is born.