Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
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 19 June 2018 to Question 153188 on Common Travel Area, what further areas of reciprocal rights will be included within the Common Travel area in addition to the six areas listed in that Answer.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK Government is firmly committed to maintaining the Common Travel Area (CTA), ensuring that UK and Irish nationals continue to have the same reciprocal rights when in each other’s state as they do now.
As noted in the answer to the question 153188 of 19 June 2018 on Common Travel Area, these reciprocal rights include:
● the right to enter and reside in each others’ state without being subject to a requirement to obtain permission;
● the right to work without being subject to a requirement to obtain permission;
● the right to study;
● access to social welfare entitlements and benefits, including pensions;
● access to health services; and
● the right to vote in local and parliamentary elections.
Further information can also be found on the CTA section of gov.uk.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many times he has visited Northern Ireland since his appointment as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union; and if he will set out the details of any such visits.
Answered by Robin Walker
Avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland is a key priority for the UK Government and we remain firmly committed to that objective.
The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union visited Northern Ireland in September 2016 meeting with the then Northern Ireland Executive and stakeholders including NI Screen and SONI (System Operator for Northern Ireland). I visited Northern Ireland with former Northern Ireland Office Minister Chloe Smith in September 2017, visiting the border and meeting with Re-Gen waste and InterTradeIreland. In October 2016, I met with representatives from Northern Ireland’s agriculture and food sector for a Business Advisory Group meeting.
Northern Ireland Office Ministers have also conducted an extensive programme of engagement in Northern Ireland on EU exit with a wide range of stakeholders.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many times he has visited (a) St Helens, (b) Merseyside and (c) the North West since his appointment; and if he will set out the details of any such visits.
Answered by Suella Braverman
Ministers from the Department of Exiting the European Union have visited the North West of England on a number of occasions since the Referendum. The Government is committed to positive and productive engagement with businesses and local government in the North West, as well as all of the UK, and will continue to work closely with them to understand the potential impact and opportunities presented by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
The Secretary of State also met the Combined Authority Mayors for Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester in October 2017.