Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of the speech by the King of the Netherlands to both Houses of Parliament on 23 October; and what steps they are taking to safeguard the current rights of Dutch citizens living in the UK and British citizens living in the Netherlands after Brexit.

We welcomed the King's remarks, particularly that Brexit does not mean goodbye, but merely a new start in the close, historic relationship between the UK and the Netherlands. That is a view we share.

Safeguarding citizens’ rights is our first priority for negotiations. The draft Withdrawal Agreement will provide certainty about the rights of UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK going forward. We are implementing this agreement through the EU Settlement Scheme and are working with Member States, including the Netherlands, to understand how they will do the same.