Question
I commend my right hon. Friend for consulting so widely in developing the earned settlement proposals and for listening to the representations of care workers in particular. I must express my astonishment at the refusal of Conservative Members to accept moral, social, financial or political responsibility for their failed immigration policies. These proposals will nevertheless adversely affect many. May I raise in particular early career researchers—postdocs and so on—who will not be earning £50,000 a year but will be contributing to our scientific understanding? Will my right hon. Friend meet me to discuss the impact on our science base?
Answer
I am always happy to meet my hon. Friend and will happily discuss those issues with her, but with the proposals that the Government have set out—including the transitional arrangements for those cohorts in health and education, given our reliance on foreign labour in those two sectors and the Migration Advisory Committee’s specific treatment of them—I think that we have found a fair resolution for everyone.20% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (62/100)
The Minister directly agreed to meet the Member, so the specific request for a meeting was clearly answered. However, the reply did not address the substantive question about the effect on the science base and postdoctoral researchers, and the surrounding statements discuss health and education cohorts instead. The asker would likely need to follow up to get a specific answer on the impact itself.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Minister meet the Member to discuss the impact of the earned settlement proposals on the science base, including early career researchers such as postdocs who will not earn £50,000 a year. | Addressed | Direct | The item asks whether the Minister will meet the Member, and statement 1 gives a clear yes ('I am always happy to meet my hon. Friend and will happily discuss those issues with her'). The reply never engages with the science base or postdocs specifically; statements 2–4 concern health and education cohorts, so the substantive impact question goes unanswered even though the meeting request is met. |