To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the number of child benefit claims made for children living in each other EU member state in each of the last 10 years; and what the estimated cost to the public was of such claims.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 27522, on child benefit: immigrants, and with reference to the Answer of 22 October 2012, Official Report, columns 619-20, on child benefit: EU nationals, and the Answer of 6 September 2010, Official Report, columns 189-90, on benefits: British nationals abroad, how many child benefit awards there were for children living in each non-UK country in each year since 2012.

Around 7m people are receiving Child Benefit. To extract and collate the value of all payments made to EU migrants for children living outside the UK in the format requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Information relating to the number of Child Benefit claims paid to families with children living overseas is available in the Government publication , “The best of both worlds: the United Kingdom's special status in a reformed European Union”. This publication is available on Gov.uk

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-best-of-both-worlds-the-united-kingdoms-special-status-in-a-reformed-european-union

The Government’s new settlement between the UK and the EU means that EU nationals whose children live abroad will ultimately receive Child Benefit at a rate that reflects the conditions – including the standard of living and child benefit paid – of the country where their child lives. This will restore fairness to the system.