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Written question asked by Gregory Stafford (Conservative) on Friday, 29 August 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 September 2025. It was answered by Mike Tapp (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 September 2025 on behalf of the Home Office.


Catering: Skilled Workers

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason chefs were removed from the Shortage Occupation List under the Skilled Worker visa route; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that decision on (a) small and (b) independent hospitality businesses.

Answer

As set out in the Immigration White Paper ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System’, published on 12 May, this Government’s approach is to link migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies, so that immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems in the UK.

Chefs were removed from the Shortage Occupation List upon the recommendation of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in their 2020 review under the previous government. In their 2023 review the MAC found that entry to the now defunct Shortage Occupation List would ‘contribute to downward pressure on wages in the occupation’.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
72577
Session
2024-26
Related items
Restoring Control over the Immigration System
Monday, 12 May 2025
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Subjects
Catering Visas Skilled workers
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk