Question
The Home Secretary will know that the Committee conducted a piece of deliberative democracy work, in which we worked with the public to find out their attitudes to people who are coming in on work visas. It was very clear that the public want skills training so that those in the domestic population can take vacancies. Can she confirm what work she is doing across Government to make sure there is appropriate skills training for those who are here to take the jobs available, and can she confirm when she expects the new provisions to start?
Answer
I thank the Chair and the Home Affairs Committee for their work in this area. I will be responding officially to their recent report on settlement. She will know that I have waited until this policy was settled, but I will set out the Government’s full response to the Committee’s very good work in this area, for which I thank it. The right hon. Lady is absolutely right about the need to make sure that domestic workers can access the skills they need to get jobs that are available in this country. She will know that I am flanked by many members of the Government, including the Secretary of State for Education, who is very alive to the issues of skills and training, as are my colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions and elsewhere. That will be an important piece of work, especially in the care sector where the Government have already recognised that there is a need for an improvement in pay and conditions for care workers, with our fair pay agreement expected by 2028; that is a recognition that things need to change in that sector to make it more attractive to domestic workers as well. So let me assure the right hon. Lady on that point. The changes that have been announced will begin to be laid from the December immigration rules. They will be implemented over the course of 2027. I will be providing impact assessments and other detailed guidance as the changes are rolled out.7% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (55/100)
The reply gives a clear, direct answer on timing: the immigration changes will begin to be laid in the December immigration rules and be implemented over 2027, with impact assessments and guidance to follow. On the first part, about building the domestic workforce through skills and training, the reply is largely general. It says ministers across government are working on the issue but names no specific skills programme, and its only concrete mechanism is the care-sector fair pay agreement expected by 2028. A member of the public would have specifics on the immigration timing but would likely need to ask again for concrete domestic skills measures.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What work is the Home Office doing across Government to ensure appropriate skills training is available for the domestic population so they can take up vacancies currently filled through work visas. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply says that ministers across Government, including the Education Secretary and DWP, are working on skills and training, but names no specific skills programme or cross-government action for the domestic workforce. Its only concrete mechanism is the care-sector fair pay agreement expected by 2028, which is linked to making the sector more attractive to domestic workers, so the answer is incomplete and largely gestural. |
| When the Home Office expects the new provisions referred to in the question to start. | Addressed | Direct | The reply gives concrete timing: the changes will begin to be laid from the December immigration rules and be implemented over the course of 2027, with impact assessments and guidance to follow as they are rolled out. |