Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his (a) French and (b) Spanish counterpart on long-stay visas for UK citizens who need to spend more than 90 days within a given 180-day period in those countries.

The Government recognises that our partnerships are strengthened when our citizens legally live in, work in, and visit our respective countries. My officials and I regularly engage our French and Spanish counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals, including on visa matters. Whilst the Government recognises frustrations around accessing long-stay visas in some countries, this is ultimately a matter for national governments and parliaments.