Correspondence from the Chair to the Minister
for Immigration
CAPPING MIGRATION:
ROLE OF
THE MAC
The Home Affairs Committee has some questions
arising from its oral evidence session last week with Professor
David Metcalf of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
We understand that the Migration Advisory Committee
has been asked to recommend a numerical limit for Tiers 1 and
2 for the first year of operation of a permanent immigration cap
(2011-12). Professor Metcalf told us that the Government's request
did not specify whether the proposed figure should or should not
include dependants, whether the Tier 2 cap should include the
Intra-company transfer route, and, because of the parallel consultation
being conducted by the UKBA on these issues, did not indicate
what method would be used to allocate visas under the cap nor
whether the shortage occupation and Resident Labour Market Tests
would be merged.
As a result of these uncertainties, Professor
Metcalf said it was likely that the MAC would have to recommend
two options rather than a single one for achieving the Government's
overall aim of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands
(Q 144); and, more seriously in our view, he said that it was
impossible for the MAC to predict the impact of any particular
cap on various sectors because of the number and significance
of the unknown factors outlined above (Qq 164-170). [The question
numbers refer to the transcript of the oral evidence, a copy of
which is enclosed with this letter for ease of reference.]
We would be grateful if you would tell us:
— whether the MAC is indeed being asked
to make a recommendation without these key pieces of information
being available, and
— whether it was the Government's intention
that the MAC should make a recommendation without being able to
predict the impact on the various sectors of the economy that
make use of migrant workers under Tier 1 and, particularly, Tier
2.
We also noted with interest the MAC's suggestion
that, if the Government were to be judged on the success of its
policy by the end of the current Parliament, then this judgement
would have to be based on the latest figures then available, which
would be those for 2013.
— Is it your understanding that the Government's
aim in practice is to bring the level of net immigration down
to the tens of thousands within three years (2011-13)?
You will understand that we wish to make our
report on the proposed Immigration Cap as soon as possible, so
that the Government may consider it together with the consultation
responses and the MAC's recommendations in formulating its policy.
We would therefore be grateful for a response to this letter by
30 September.
17 September 2010
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