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Proceeding contribution from Damian Green (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Thursday, 24 April 2008. It occurred during Debate on Points-Based Immigration System.


Points-Based Immigration System

That is completely right. I am glad that the hon. Lady thought of another point to make. It seems a slightly strange basis for an entire Government policy to have no evidence that that policy will be beneficial. The hon. Lady has just admitted that there might well be no evidence, and that does not prove the opposite, either. The Government have proceeded on that assumption for 10 years and so has the Minister, for all his statements that he prefers GDP per capita. Just as he is a student of my speeches and press releases, I am probably the world's greatest student of his. In all conscience, no one would believe that he did not regard the expansion of GDP by £6 billion—a figure he cited again today—as extremely important evidence in favour of the economic benefits of immigration. If he is now claiming that GDP per capita is a better measure, that is a welcome advance on everything that he has said over the past few years.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
474 c1530 
Session
2007-08
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Immigration controls Immigration Entry clearances Migration Reform Work permits
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk