Immigration White Paper Statement House of Lords

Mr Speaker, it is a great pleasure

to come to the House today to answer

the question from the right

honourable member. In doing so, I

should point out that Ministers have

made great efforts to keep the House

and formed on the state of play

relating to the UK's exit from the

European Union, bearing in mind that

we are in an ongoing negotiation and

we cannot give a running commentary.

Since June 2016, there have been

numerous ministerial statements.

This question however relates

specifically to immigration so let

me remind the House to where we have

got to. Our first priority in

negotiations was to reach a deal on

citizens rights, a position of the 3

million EU citizens currently in the

UK and just as importantly, the 1

million UK citizens who reside in

other EU Member States. An agreement

was successfully concluded on that

last December, meaning all of those

people were guaranteed continuing

rights to live and work as they do

now and of course we updated

Parliament fully at the time. Our

next priority is to agree view

arrangements during the

implementation period, the period

immediately following the UK's exit

next March. Negotiations are shortly

to begin with the EU am I right

honourable friend the Prime Minister

has set out the board objectives in

the speech he gave in Florence last

year. We will publish a white paper

in the coming months when the time

is right. And of course we will

consider how we can update the House

as negotiations progress. As to be

longer term, as the House will know,

the Government has commissioned the

independent migration advisory

committee to advise on the economic

aspects of the UK's exit. The map

was asked for in September 2018, and

as to consider interim reports. Let

me be clear, given we are expected

to have an implementation period of

around two years after we leave,

there will be plenty of time to take

account of the backs recommendations

in designing the longer-term

integration systems for the UK. Mr

Speaker, we are clear that the

Government will make a successive

brexit. We will and free movement

and build an immigration system that

works in the national interest. And

we will, as we have done thus far in

sure that Parliament is kept

informed and to date.

My lords I

think the noble lady for appeasing

the answers of the question given in

the other plays by the immigration

Minister. The only problem I really

had was the lack of any credibility

in the Government on this issue. We

have Boris Johnson a month ago

charging around and seeking to

undermine the prime Minister and

more recently joined White Jacob

Rees mole and on immigration, making

us an international laughing stock.

Can't be honourable member it

explained to the House at why a

can't the husband, is there even a

draft in the Department? Is it just

sheets of blank white paper sitting

in the home office? Could she give

the House also, that we will not be

sitting here again with another

postponement, and will come back to

us and we will not be here again in

another few months' time with

another postponement?

I would like

to think the Noble Lord for his

questions. On the issue of timing,

it is clear that we are considering

a range of options for the future

immigration system. And this is

incredibly important and we will set

out initial plans in the coming

months. But my lords Kudla what we

have to do is make sure that all

decisions that we make for the

future immigration system are based

on evidence and engagement. -- but

my lords, what we have to do. I

would encourage all Noble Lord than

those they talk too to consult with

the Government in terms of what they

would like to see a future system

looking like. We are already in

consultation with a wide range of

representatives across businesses,

universities and various countries

and when we are satisfied that we

have the evidence and we have

completed a consultation, we'll of

course make our decisions.

My

lords... My lords...

Prison move

lead the Noble Baroness the Minister

will

have seen the political

coverage over the weekend, about the

damage caused by the uncertainty

over brexit, not least the National

Health Service were EU nationals are

leaving because of the

uncertainties. From the situation

where they felt they had some

certainty, we now learned that there

is no certainty during or after the

implementation period. The Noble

Baroness talks about plenty of time

but the longer the delay, the more

people will leave. What further

damaged his seat Minister believed

this debate and the publication this

white paper will cause to one

already understaffed and under

resource National Health Service?

I

think the Noble Lord for his

observations, but I don't feel he is

quite correct. Let us be very clear,

we have already reached a very

important milestone. We have reached

an agreement the citizens rights

deal, with the EU. And back covers

citizens, EU citizens who already

live in the UK. If you are a nurse

and you are living, if you are a

nurse from the EU and living in the

UK, you are covered. You need to

register with the home office and

then you will be able to attain

settled status and you will be able

to remain in the United Kingdom and

have the same rights you would a pad

prior to us leaving the European

Union. In terms of what is going to

happen during the post exit

implementation period, that is

subject to negotiation and would be

foolish for us to reveal exactly

what we want because the quickest

way to not get what you want is to

reveal it.

My lords, with the noble

lady, the Minister, notice or agree

that the timing for the white paper

that she has given is about as big

as anything I have heard and I heard

Lenny of vague promises from the

Government about white papers

before. Could she say that the white

paper when it comes, if it comes,

when ever it comes, will cover the

of foreign practise of treating

international students as economic

migrants? And will finally address

that issue in terms which stopped

that practise?

Well, I think that I

can assure the Noble Lord that if

required in this question that I am

being very clear that it will be

with us in the coming months and the

situation as it progresses, the

Noble Lord raises the question of

the net migration figure and I am

well aware that it is something he

feels very strongly, and I would

point out that we are not any

different, in terms of including

international students and our net

migration calculations. I cannot

make any promises to him about what

will be in Whitehall.

My lords, I

will think the noble lady for

repeating this statement. My

question is, will there be a region

that mentioned, for the future

immigration policy?

I would like to

think My Noble friend for the

question, and of course, we have to

take into account the labour

requirements both in regions and

also in different sectors of our

economy. This is why we have

commissioned the independent

vibration advisory committee to

advise on the economic and social

impacts on the exit from the EU but

also on how the UK's immigration

system should be aligned with the

Government's modern industrial

strategy which was published

recently. The migration advisement

committee will be reporting in

September 2018, so I believe there

is sufficient time to do the work

that is needed to be done. We are

considering a range of options for

the future immigration system. We

will not leave anything out at that

stage.

Willie Noble Baroness the

Prime Minister please be more open

with the House about the governments

objectives. In the transition or

implementation period as the

Government calls it. Is the

objective to reduce numbers coming

to this country or is it not, and

the noble lady talks about policy

being evidence based, is it

absolutely clear that at the moment

that the NHS scours the rest of the

EU to keep our health service going

on that implementation and

transition period would have a

devastating effect and that the

Government should make clear that it

will not and pose conditions on

their rights of residency in the

United Kingdom was white the Noble

Lord will know as I am sure

it, that

the emigration numbers have Artie

started to fall and it is our

ambition that we achieve a

sustainable level of migration after

we exit from the European Union and

after the post exit period. I think

it is very instructive to look

forward actually to the period

beyond the implementation period

because that is the period for which

we were established a stable and

robust immigration system which

works for every region and every

sector of the economy. So in terms

of where we are now and where we

will be in say 2021, the

implementation period and the

objective that is as smooth

transition, to ensure there is no

cliff edge and make sure that we are

able to have the people that we

need, the skills we need in our

country.

My warlords it has been

well-known for long time that both

for high skill and low skill work

that the statement makes no

reference to what the Government is

thinking and what they will actually

do.

My lords we are well aware that

there are shortages in some areas in

the Government is listening and the

best we can do is listen to Art

universities, businesses and our

clique Seat across the European

Union and the Government has a

number of user groups that have been

set up with representatives from all

sorts of different organisations.

The most important thing we can do

is if there are shortages in

different regions or sectors, then

that is what our future immigration

policy must address.

One of the

mistakes that I believe the

Government has made...

Order! Order!

Order! My lords, order, please. This

side, order. Order. OK, now please,

this side.

I believe the Government

has made a mistake in recent years.

In understating the scale of

forecast immigration for planning,

poor health, housing, schools and

infrastructure. Can I ask ranges if

need be beyond the implementation

period and how they are planning for

the consequences in terms of public

infrastructure. Will this feature in

the white paper?

I would like to

think My Noble friend for her

question. I am afraid I am not able

to answer the question she has

raised entrance of the number that

we are looking out for in terms of

the public services but we are

working very hard to approve the

quality of the data that we use for

immigration, or casting. We are

working closely with Owen asked and

other government departments to

improve the quality and use of

administrative data because we do

need a better understanding about

how many migrants are in the UK and

how long they stayed for. The LNS

will be reporting in the year and we

look forward to their report.

My

lords. We have had ten minutes, we

are now moving onto next question.

And not Oval order. -- order.

Order.