Oral answer to question provided on Monday, 25 February 2008 in the House of Commons, by Liam Byrne (Labour), Home Office.

Inward Migration

Answer: I am grateful to hear the spectrum of opinion that the hon. Gentleman mentioned; it might be a good sign that we have got things right. If he studies the issue in detail, he will soon realise that we propose a five-year cap on temporary leave. That will mean that quite a few benefits based on national insurance contributions, such as incapacity benefit, the state-based pension and those NI-based payments that require more than five years of contributions, will no longer be available to those coming into the country on temporary leave. The message that we want to send is simple: if someone wants access to mainstream benefits, they should have to earn their citizenship in Britain. People should not be allowed to sit on temporary leave for indefinite periods.

This is an answer to the Oral question asked on Monday, 25 February 2008 by Damian Green (Conservative).

Question: The Minister's latest attempt to affect levels of migration was last week's Green Paper. He will have noted that it united opinion across the spectrum—against it. The Guardian said that Ministers should have"““more…respect for the facts””." The Independent described it as"““Clumsy steps in the wrong direction””." The Sun said that it was ““a gimmick””, and the Daily Mail said that it was ““simply barmy””. I will spare the Minister the verdict of the Daily Express. Ministers were clearly trying to talk tough. To that end, page 34 of the paper says:"““Probationary citizens will not…be entitled to access mainstream benefits””." Can the Minister name a single benefit that is available now that will not be available under the new regime?

Secondary information