Migration

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 14 November 2017.

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Photo of Rachael Hamilton Rachael Hamilton Conservative

The situation in

Northern Ireland is unique; it is not applicable to Scotland.

Scottish Chambers of Commerce, in its response to the Scottish Parliament Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee’s inquiry on immigration, said that it

“does not believe that devolution of immigration powers to Scotland is necessary to achieve a business solution to migration targets, but sectoral and geographical factors are central to the ability of a UK-wide immigration policy to meet business need.”

Migrant labour needs in some sectors are the same throughout the UK. As I stated to the minister last week, the requirement for seasonal strawberry pickers in Angus is the same as it is in Herefordshire. The Prime Minister, in a recent response to Kirstene Hair MP on the need for seasonal migrant labour in her constituency, said:

“the Home Secretary has commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to look at the needs of the UK labour market and to further inform our work as we bring those new immigration rules in.”—[

Official Report, House of Commons

, 1 November 2017; Vol 630, c 822.]