Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans are in place to ensure that veterinary surgeons working in meat hygiene from (a) other EU member states and (b) non-EU states to access their pensions if they are no longer domiciled in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

Private pension savings or accrued rights, including pensions accrued through an occupational pension scheme, are treated as the property of the individual scheme member. Private property is protected by both UK and international law. Consequently, individuals who have accrued a private pension in the UK are currently able to access their pension savings or pension rights regardless of whether they are domiciled outside of the UK in either an EU or a non-EU state.

There will be no change for individuals who are domiciled in a non-EU state after the UK leaves the EU.

The reciprocal rights and entitlements that will apply to UK citizens domiciled in EU states when the UK leaves the EU are subject to the wider negotiation on our future relationship with the EU and we will seek to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people, at home and overseas. However, irrespective of the outcome of those negotiations we would expect the current position in respect of private pensions to be maintained. We fully expect that people domiciled in an EU member state will continue to be able to access their UK private pension savings or UK private pension rights after the UK leaves the EU.