§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of the freedom of establishment treaty between Switzerland and the EU on employment opportunities for British workers in Switzerland; [84577]
(2) what assessment he has made of the barriers to employment faced by UK workers in Switzerland [84578]
920W
§ Mr. Nicholas Brown[holding answer 2 December 2002]: The freedom of movement and employment of UK workers in Switzerland is governed by an agreement between the European Community and its member states, and the Swiss Confederation which came into force on 1 June 2002, with final implementation in 2007.
The agreement accords UK workers a right of entry, residence and access to work as employed persons or the right to establish themselves on a self-employed basis.
Given the short period of time since it came into force, no assessment has been made of the effect of the agreement.