---

Immigration (Work Permits)

The whole House welcomes the Government’s efforts to improve the system and to bear down on abuse. However, I return to the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz). The south Asian restaurant sector, which is only tiny, has the particular problem that even top-quality chefs on the sub-continent are unlikely to have paper qualifications the like of which this scheme turns on. Equally, they are less likely to be in large sector-based organisations to make their case. All that we asking is that the Government pay particular attention to that sector so that our Indian, Thai and Chinese restaurateurs may be assured that the Government understand the significance of their sector and the contribution that they make to the quality of life in our big cities.