Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, as endorsed by leaders at a special meeting of the European Council on 25 November 2018, what is the definition of "dependent" when applied to parents; and what assessment they have made of whether that definition covers physically, mentally and financially dependent parents and grandparents.

There is no definition of “dependent” when applied to parents in the draft Withdrawal Agreement, and there is no definition in the Free Movement Directive. However, the UK considers that physical, mental and financial factors can all be relevant.

Under the EU Settlement Scheme the dependence of a parent of the relevant EU citizen or of their spouse or civil partner will be assumed.