Glasgow hosts second meeting of immigration inquiry
27 November 2017
The Scottish Affairs Committee hears from Scottish business representatives about labour needs and immigration.
Attend the session
At the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the Committee discusses how well the labour needs of Scottish businesses are met by current immigration arrangements.
Under the devolution settlement immigration is a reserved matter, and the UK Government has adopted a UK-wide approach to immigration policy. The session will focus on how well current immigration arrangements have met the needs of Scottish businesses in filling employment gaps, and ask what impact will Brexit have on sectors that are more reliant on seasonal and permanent EU migration.
At present, migration of non-EU workers is largely restricted to skilled labour. The Committee asks whether minimum wage requirements for these visas are realistic, and whether application fees put off smaller businesses. It will also examine the effectiveness of the Scotland specific Shortage Occupation List which is designed to improve recruitment in sectors with acute shortages.
Witnesses
Monday 27 November, City of Music Studio, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
At 10.45am
- Barry McCulloch, Senior Policy Adviser, Federation of Small Businesses Scotland
- Gareth Williams, Head of Policy, Scottish Council for Development and Industry
Chair's comments
Committee Chair Pete Wishart MP said:
"At its first meeting for this inquiry the Committee heard that there were a number of ways in the way immigration policy is designed could be changed to more directly take account of Scotland's needs.
Having heard from academic experts, we are looking forward to our discussions with business representatives, who will provide a valuable insight into just how important immigrant workers are in filling current and future employment gaps, as well as the impact of Brexit on their ability to recruit workers from outside the UK.
Brexit raises a number of crucial questions in relation to the rights of EU citizens currently living and working in Scotland, and future immigration policy, and this session seeks to establish what the priorities are likely to be for Scottish business."
Further information
Image: iStockphoto