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Managed Migration

I am delighted that we are discussing the important proposals on the new points-based system for managed migration, which were published the other week. In the first instance, I wanted to ensure that we had a debate—we tried to secure a debate in Westminster Hall, but that did not happen for various reasons, so I am enormously grateful that one is being held on the Floor of the House. A proper, grown-up, substantial, mature debate on migration is long overdue in British politics in general and in this Chamber in particular. When we launched the document last week, I remembered that one of my predecessors in this role, the former hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, had the temerity to try to get up a substantive debate on managed migration in the press. She was royally chewed up and spat out by the press and the political establishment, one and all, for having the temerity to suggest that economic migration might be a good thing rather than otherwise. I think and hope that we have come a long, long way and that the points-based system that we presented last week is part of that process. I hope, too, that we have come a long way from the situation that pertained at the general election. At the risk of boring the House, may I repeat that the Opposition should be thoroughly ashamed both of the views that they expressed and of their conduct?