To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 16, what the evidential basis is for his statement that UK citizens retiring to Spain have the same access to social services as people from other parts of the EU retiring to the UK. (190596)

As in the UK, when a person moves to live in another member state, access to social services will depend on what services are available in the member state of residence and national legislation.

European nationals who move to live in another member state, such as UK citizens retiring to Spain, can access the social security systems of their new state of residence on the basis of rights laid down in European legislation, such as the European social security coordinating regulations.