, Labour's Shadow
Immigration Minister, commenting on new ONS projections
today which forecast the UK’s population will be 73.7 million by
2036, said:
“The higher net migration figures reflect 14 years of
Conservative failure on the economy and immigration. The Tories’
record high net migration figures include a 65 per cent increase
in net migration for work and a 156 per cent surge in health and
social care visas as a result of their failure on skills,
training and domestic workforce planning here in the UK.
“Labour would reform the points-based immigration system to boost
training and better link it to the needs of the economy.”
Ends
Notes:
Today’s population projections published by the Office for
National Statistics:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/bulletins/nationalpopulationprojections/2021basedinteri
Labour’s reforms to the points-based system would:
- Introduce new training plans and requirements for key
occupations on the Shortage Occupation List - including Labour’s
plan for more doctors and nurses and Fair Pay Agreements for
social care.
- Reform of apprenticeship levy to support upskilling and
skilling in key shortage areas including IT and engineering.
- Limit access to the immigration system for employers who fail
to provide fair pay for fair work, including stronger visa
penalties for those found guilty of flouting labour and minimum
wage laws.
- Reform the Migration Advisory Committee to link it to the
bodies setting out industrial and skills strategy - learning from
the Australian approach to ensure that where skills shortages
lead to a sector remaining on the Shortage Occupation List, that
must be tackled with a plan to upskill workers in the UK.
