Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure retired UK citizen living in other EU Member States will have access to healthcare in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The United Kingdom Government appreciates the importance of retaining reciprocal healthcare arrangements with the European Union and has been clear in the negotiations that it wants to protect the rights of UK citizens in the EU. Extensive work to prepare for a ‘no deal’ scenario, including contingency planning, has been under way for over two years and we are taking necessary steps to ensure the country continues to operate smoothly from the day we leave.
Subject to the Withdrawal Agreement being agreed by Parliament, during the implementation period the current rules on reciprocal healthcare will continue until December 2020. The rights of UK nationals living in the EU, and who fall within the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement, will continue to be protected after December 2020, for as long as these individuals remain in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement. This includes state pensioners already benefiting from that cover.
In the event that the UK exits the EU without a deal, EU citizens resident in the UK by 29 March 2019 will be able to stay and continue to access in country benefits and services, including healthcare, on broadly the same terms as now. This demonstrates the UK Government’s ongoing commitment to citizens and removes any ambiguity over their future. We are engaging with EU counterparts to urge them to make the same commitment to protect the rights of UK nationals in the EU.
The reciprocal healthcare system requires reciprocity from the EU or individual Member States and cannot be protected unilaterally. The UK Government is seeking agreements with Member States, so that no individual, including retired UK citizen living in other EU Member States, will face sudden changes to their healthcare cover.
The Government has published updated advice for UK persons resident in countries in the European Economic Area as well as for those wishing to travel to such countries with specific information on potential changes to access to reciprocal healthcare and precautions they may wish to take in the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario.
General information is available on the GOV.UK website and country-specific advice can be found under the relevant sections of NHS.UK as well. This includes guidance for retired UK citizens living in other EU Member States and suggestions on alternative arrangements they may wish to make, should existing arrangements such as the European Health Insurance Card scheme cease, which appears as a section under the profile of each individual country.
The information provided on these pages will be updated in light of new developments and changing circumstances.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether students who are granted European Temporary Leave to Remain would be eligible to access Government funding for under-18 education.
Answered by Anne Milton
European Temporary Leave to Remain will allow European Economic Area citizens arriving in the UK after 29 March 2019 to live, work and study in the UK if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and this includes government funding for pre-16 and 16-19 education and training.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to publicise to motorists who intend to travel to EU countries after the UK leaves the EU that they will need an insurance green card in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Chris Grayling
From 29 March 2019, if there is no EU exit deal and the European Commission does not make an implementing decision allowing the UK to remain a part of the Green Card-free area, we expect that motorists will be required to carry a Green Card as proof of their third-party motor insurance when driving in EU or EEA countries. The Government has taken several steps to ensure that motorists in both Northern Ireland and Great Britain are prepared for this scenario.
In September 2018, we published the motor insurance technical notice which provided in depth advice and information on what motorists may need when travelling to the EU after exit, as well as how they can obtain a green card and who they can contact for further information.
The Government also issued a new citizens communications campaign this month. This echoed earlier advice issued in the technical notice, and uses radio, digital ads and social media to direct citizens to gov.uk/euexit.
We have engaged regularly with the insurance industry, ensuring that communications across the board are aligned and consistent. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau has issued comprehensive advice to both motorists and insurers on their website, alongside directing them towards the government issued advice. The Association of British Insurers have also most recently put out communications which advise that motorists request a green card one month in advance of travel.
We will continue to engage with the insurance industry to ensure these changes are effectively communicated to the public.
Our intention is to of course remain part of the Green Card-free circulation area and the UK meets all of the requirements needed to remain a part of it when we leave the EU. This would mean that UK drivers would continue to be able to drive in EU member states without the requirement to hold a motor insurance green card. We urge the Commission to issue a decision on the UK’s membership in the green card-free circulation zone.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to publicise to motorists intending to travel to EU countries after the UK leaves the EU the consequences of not travelling with an insurance green card in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Chris Grayling
From 29 March 2019, if there is no EU exit deal and the European Commission does not make an implementing decision allowing the UK to remain a part of the Green Card-free area, we expect that motorists will be required to carry a Green Card as proof of their third-party motor insurance when driving in EU or EEA countries. The Government has taken several steps to ensure that motorists in both Northern Ireland and Great Britain are prepared for this scenario.
In September 2018, we published the motor insurance technical notice which provided in depth advice and information on what motorists may need when travelling to the EU after exit, as well as how they can obtain a green card and who they can contact for further information.
The Government also issued a new citizens communications campaign this month. This echoed earlier advice issued in the technical notice, and uses radio, digital ads and social media to direct citizens to gov.uk/euexit.
We have engaged regularly with the insurance industry, ensuring that communications across the board are aligned and consistent. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau has issued comprehensive advice to both motorists and insurers on their website, alongside directing them towards the government issued advice. The Association of British Insurers have also most recently put out communications which advise that motorists request a green card one month in advance of travel.
We will continue to engage with the insurance industry to ensure these changes are effectively communicated to the public.
Our intention is to of course remain part of the Green Card-free circulation area and the UK meets all of the requirements needed to remain a part of it when we leave the EU. This would mean that UK drivers would continue to be able to drive in EU member states without the requirement to hold a motor insurance green card. We urge the Commission to issue a decision on the UK’s membership in the green card-free circulation zone.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to publicise to motorists in Northern Ireland that they will need an insurance green card in order to drive in the Republic of Ireland in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Chris Grayling
From 29 March 2019, if there is no EU exit deal and the European Commission does not make an implementing decision allowing the UK to remain a part of the Green Card-free area, we expect that motorists will be required to carry a Green Card as proof of their third-party motor insurance when driving in EU or EEA countries. The Government has taken several steps to ensure that motorists in both Northern Ireland and Great Britain are prepared for this scenario.
In September 2018, we published the motor insurance technical notice which provided in depth advice and information on what motorists may need when travelling to the EU after exit, as well as how they can obtain a green card and who they can contact for further information.
The Government also issued a new citizens communications campaign this month. This echoed earlier advice issued in the technical notice, and uses radio, digital ads and social media to direct citizens to gov.uk/euexit.
We have engaged regularly with the insurance industry, ensuring that communications across the board are aligned and consistent. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau has issued comprehensive advice to both motorists and insurers on their website, alongside directing them towards the government issued advice. The Association of British Insurers have also most recently put out communications which advise that motorists request a green card one month in advance of travel.
We will continue to engage with the insurance industry to ensure these changes are effectively communicated to the public.
Our intention is to of course remain part of the Green Card-free circulation area and the UK meets all of the requirements needed to remain a part of it when we leave the EU. This would mean that UK drivers would continue to be able to drive in EU member states without the requirement to hold a motor insurance green card. We urge the Commission to issue a decision on the UK’s membership in the green card-free circulation zone.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact a no-deal Brexit would have on access to new medicines.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Government continues to prepare for the outcome that we leave the European Union without a deal in March 2019.
Regarding access to medicines, the Department and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry have a voluntary agreement to control the prices of branded drugs sold to the National Health Service. The 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access will bring benefits to patients, the NHS and the life sciences industry. Patients will benefit from faster adoption of cutting-edge and best value drugs, so they can gain access to them up to six months earlier. We do not anticipate any need to make changes to the Voluntary Scheme in light of EU exit, whatever the outcome of negotiations.
Regarding the United Kingdom’s regulatory system, in a ‘no deal’ scenario the UK’s participation in the European medicines regulatory network would cease and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) would take on the functions currently undertaken by the EU for human medicines on the UK market. On 4 January the Government published an online-only detailed proposal for how the MHRA would regulate medicines in the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario, which included the new licensing routes that we would offer in order to make sure UK patients are still able to access the best and most innovative medicines.
The Government values the strong collaborative partnerships that we have across the European Union in the areas of science, research and innovation, and as part of Exit negotiations is working to ensure that we have the best possible environment in which to support access to new medicines after we leave the EU.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of UK citizens currently living in other EU countries who will return to live in the UK in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The UK government is committed to negotiating a deal for the UK when it leaves the EU in March 2019. However, as a responsible government, work will continue to prepare proportionately for all scenarios, including the outcome that we leave the EU without any deal in March 2019. As part of this work, DWP regularly works with other government departments on planning assumptions, and these assumptions are regularly reviewed and changed as more information arises.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to leave the EU’s emissions trading scheme; and what steps the Government is taking to maintain its commitment to cut carbon emissions after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Claire Perry
Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement after the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019, the UK’s participation in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) will continue until the end of the Implementation Period. This aligns with the end of Phase III (December 2020) of the EU ETS.
The Political Declaration sets out that the UK and the EU have agreed to consider cooperating on carbon pricing through linking a UK national greenhouse gas emissions trading system with the EU ETS. The details of these arrangements will be a matter for the next phase of the negotiations. The Government will consult on our future approach to carbon pricing in due course.
In the event that the UK leaves without a deal in 2019, the UK would cease to participate in the EU ETS. To ensure stability and to meet the UK’s legally binding carbon reduction commitments under the Climate Change Act, a Carbon Emissions Tax would be introduced from 1 April 2019.
The Government is committed to tackling climate change. We are making strong progress towards our legally binding targets established in the world-leading Climate Change Act. Between 1990 and 2017, the UK reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by over 40% while growing the economy by more than two thirds - the best performance in the G7 on a per person basis.
We recognise the need to go further and the Clean Growth Strategy sets out our plans through to 2032, to build on our successes to date. It includes ambitious proposals on housing, business, transport, the natural environment and green finance.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if his Department will estimate the number of UK citizens residing in EU countries who will return to the UK after 29 March in (a) 2019 and (b) 2020, in the event of the UK leaving the EU (i) with a Withdrawal Agreement and (ii) without a deal.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Withdrawal Agreement includes protections for the rights of citizens including UK nationals currently living in the EU, which will allow them to continue living their lives broadly as they do now in the countries where they currently live.
The Government has been clear that we do not want or expect a no deal scenario. However, we will continue to do the responsible thing and prepare for all eventualities. This includes the potential impact of a no deal scenario on UK nationals currently resident in the EU.
The Office for National Statistics calculates there are approximately 780,000 UK nationals who currently live in the EU, excluding Ireland. Some of them could decide to return to the UK depending on a range of factors including action by EU member states and personal circumstances.
On 19 December, the European Commission reconfirmed their commitment to putting citizens’ rights first and called on Member States to take a generous approach to the rights of UK nationals in the EU. The majority of Member States, including France, Spain and the Netherlands, have set out their no deal plans and provided reassurances that the rights of UK nationals will be protected. The Government hopes that other Member States will set out the detail of their plans to protect the rights of UK nationals, in line with our assurances to EU citizens living in the UK, so there should be no need for them to leave.
Asked by: Paul Farrelly (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress his Department has made in reviewing the potential effect of the salary threshold for EU citizens after 29 March 2019 on recruitment in the arts sector.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
In the event that a deal is reached with the European Union (EU) on withdrawing from the bloc, there will be an implementation period between 29 March 2019 and 31 December 2020 during which nothing will change regarding the ability of EU citizens to come and work in the UK, including those working in the arts sector.
If the UK leaves the EU without agreeing a deal, the arrangements for EU citizens arriving in the UK after 29 March 2019, whether for holidays or for short visits, for work or study, of up to three months, will not look any different for a transitional period until the new skills-based immigration system is implemented in 2021. However, to stay longer than three months, EU citizens newly arrived in this transitional period will need to apply for European Temporary Leave to Remain, which, subject to identity and criminality checks, will mean that they can remain here, including to work or study, for a further 36 months.
In either scenario, there will be no minimum salary threshold for those coming here to work.