Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 2 July concerning European Union enlargement (WA 262), why they have not made their own impact assessment of enlargement, especially in relation to the impact on taxpayers and immigration as a result of free movement of people; and whether they will now do so.

Only Croatia has joined the EU since 2010, and this involved a thorough debate in Parliament on Croatia’s accession Treaty. Following Croatia’s accession, no further countries are expected to join the EU before the early 2020s. As part of the process of extending the Transitional Controls on Bulgaria and Romania the Government commissioned an independent review, by the Migration Advisory Committee, on access of those countries’ nationals to the UK labour market, which issued in November 2011.

The European Commission provides detailed assessments of the expected impact of any new Member State joining the EU. In addition, reports on enlargement and on the freedom of movement of persons are included in the Government's Balance of Competences Review. We have no plans to commission additional assessments of the impact of enlargement as we do not believe that they would add value to those reports already published or commissioned.