Oxford East MP Andrew Smith pressed a Government minister on EU benefit claimants in the Commons.

The Labour MP asked work and pensions sercretary Chris Grayling how many families he estimated got benefits in the UK and from another EU state as their partner worked in that European state.

Mr Grayling said the payments were “a consequence of the European rules on social security co-ordination”.

He said: “We do not keep a separate record of such information and are not able to estimate the number of partners.”