Written question asked by Tom Cox (Labour) on Tuesday, 19 October 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 17 November 2004. It was answered by Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 November 2004 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his proposals to attract skilled foreign workers into the UK; and what funding exists within his Department to pursue this policy.

Answer: Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his proposals to attract skilled foreign workers into the UK; and what funding exists within his Department to pursue this policy. [193145] Mr. Browne: The movement of skilled foreign workers into the UK is not a new phenomenon and has always been essential to our economy. For the UK to continue to be able to compete effectively in a global economy it is vital that employers are able to recruit workers with the skills they need to remain competitive, where those cannot be met from within the UK and wider EU workforce. We therefore believe that controlled, selective migration, alongside having a firm grip of our borders and dealing vigorously with any immigration or asylum abuse, works for the economic benefit of the whole of the UK. Our managed migration programmes, including the highly skilled migrant programme, attract fee income which is currently designed to match their cost over a number of years.

Secondary information