Net Migration

Answer: I do not know whether I have given the hon. Gentleman a misleading impression, but I am not the general secretary of a Soviet-style central planning system—[Laughter.] I do not sit, together with my colleagues, in an office in the Home Office deciding what the needs of the British economy will be next year. We need to understand where in our economy migration is needed and where it is not, which is why the migration advisory committee is so important, but in setting the bar we must take into account the wider impact of migration, and that is precisely what we plan to do.

This is an answer to the Oral question asked on Monday, 30 April 2007 by David Ruffley (Conservative).

Question: Will the Minister put the Blairite spin to one side, and tell us by how much the annual number of immigrants to the United Kingdom will fall in the year following the introduction of his new points system? A ballpark figure will do.

Secondary information

Type: Oral answer to question
Reference: 459 c1226
Session: 2006-07
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: Net Migration
Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Immigration Migration
Link: View this Oral answer to question on www.publications.parliament.uk