§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement outlining the nature of the agreement with the European Economic Community under which European Economic Community nationals can register as unemployed and then obtain welfare benefits for a period of six months; and what is the length of time any such person must be away from the United Kingdom before he can return to the United Kingdom and benefit from another six months of welfare benefits.
§ Mrs. ChalkerArrangements with member States of the European Community, whereby insurance contributions in one country can be aggregated with those in another, make it possible in certain circumstances for a national of another Community country to receive unemployment benefit here while looking for work.
Community nationals become eligible for supplementary benefit because of the combined effect of two agreements: the Council of Europe Convention on Social and Medical Assistance 1953 gives nationals from signatory countries the right to social assistance on the same conditions as those of the host State; and Community rules allow nationals of one country to seek work in another. Arrangements are made to limit the stay of those who claim supplementary benefit.
The six-month entry period imposed by immigration authorities does not affect these arrangements.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the amount paid by his Department in child benefits to European Economic Community nationals working in the United Kingdom in the most recent year for which information can be readily obtained or estimated; and what estimate he has made of the child benefits paid by other European Economic Community 263W countries to British nationals working in their countries.
§ Mrs. Chalker£2,856,710 was paid in child benefit to European Community nationals working in the United Kingdom in 1979, the latest year for which figures are available.
Figures are not available for 1979 of the amount of family benefits paid by the other member States to British nationals working in those countries. However, information provided by the European Commission shows that, in 1978, £165,622 was paid by Belgium, France, the Irish Republic and Luxembourg. In the case of Luxembourg the payments were to all British workers. For the other three countries, the total includes only the amount paid to British workers unaccompanied by their families; the amount paid to accompanied workers has not been notified. No information is held of payments made by Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy or the Netherlands. It is known, however, that in 1977 approximately £1.8 million was paid by the Federal Republic to British nationals working there.