Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether EU nationals granted permanent residence prior to the EU referendum taking place will retain the right to reside in the UK, irrespective of the outcome of negotiations with the EU, which they currently enjoy.

As set out in the Government’s policy paper, EU citizens, including those granted permanent residence status prior to the EU Referendum, will need to apply for settled status, which will give them the right to reside in the UK.

Qualifying EU citizens will be given time to apply for their new residence status after our exit, so they can be reassured that there will be no cliff-edge at the point of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The UK is ready to offer an even more streamlined process for current holders of permanent residence.

As the Prime Minister set out in her speech in Florence, we are confident that we can find a way forward that makes a success of this for all of our people, and that we have a responsibility to make this change work smoothly and sensibly.