Contributions
2,215 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDStudent VisasI respect my right hon. Friend and his deep knowledge of this area, but I do not think it is helpful to change the way in which the statistics are reported. I do think that we…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasWe did think very carefully about this measure and had detailed conversations with colleagues across Government, including of course the Department for Education, and indeed with…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasI said that we take a pragmatic approach to this issue. We are balancing our strong desire to bring down net migration with the needs of the economy. That is why we have taken the…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasAt the risk of repeating myself, there is no material difference between unemployment or economic inactivity in Scotland and in the rest of the UK—the hon. Lady is incorrect in…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasIf the hon. Lady is referring to pressure on school places, that would be a good argument for reducing the number of dependants coming to the UK, because the children of the…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasAlongside the package of measures today, we are, as I said earlier, taking further targeted enforcement activity against unscrupulous education agents who are selling entry to the…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasImmigration is a reserved matter. I would just add that I am seeking a meeting with the relevant Cabinet Secretary in the Scottish Government to discuss illegal migration, but her…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasWe believe the changes we are setting out today will make a marked impact on net migration. We will, obviously, monitor them very closely for some of the unintended consequences…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasWe will implement the policy we set out yesterday, but concurrently we will launch the consultation with universities and, if we need to refine the policy as a result of that, we…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasI do think the package of measures that we have announced will make a tangible difference to net migration. Taken together with the easing of exceptional factors, such as Hong…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasI was pleased to be at Manchester airport on Friday, meeting my Border Force officials and seeing the expansion currently under way. I do not foresee any serious loss of revenue…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasNothing could be further from the truth. It is this Government who established the international education strategy that led to 600,000 international students coming to the UK…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasI completely agree with my hon. Friend. Universities such as Keele—I do know that university well—have played a critical role in the economic development of local communities, and…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasThe right hon. Gentleman makes a curious argument. Of course, it was as a result of leaving the European Union that we have created an entirely non-discriminatory immigration…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasWe said in the announcement this week that, with the Department for Education, we will launch a consultation with the university sector to design a longer-term alternative to the…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasI am pleased to say that UKVI is today a very well-run organisation under the superb leadership of an official in the Home Office called Marc Owen. In every one of the visa…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasThe education of international students is an important export industry. I believe that it is the UK’s fourth or fifth-biggest export industry, and that is a good thing, and it is…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasIt would be helpful if the hon. Gentleman did not spread misinformation to his researcher or indeed anyone else. It was the Government, through the international education…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasThe Home Secretary and I are completely at one in our determination to reduce net migration. That is what our party stood on a manifesto to do and that is what we intend to…24 May 2023HANSARDStudent VisasI would be pleased to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that. As I said earlier with respect to the announcement we made today, we will be carrying out a consultation with the…24 May 2023