Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent from the public purse on the payment of the state pension to non-UK citizens in each European Economic Area country for each year from 1997-98 to 2014-15.

Justin Tomlinson, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People: Entitlement to UK State Pension is based on UK national insurance contributions and credits which enables pensioners, many of whom are UK nationals, to receive their state pensions abroad.

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold data on the nationality of State Pension claimants however;

State Pension expenditure by country of residence is published on Gov.UKhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/464096/state-pension-by-country-2014-15.xlsx.

Expenditure is not broken down by nationality.