Home Office and DExEU ministers to give evidence on free movement of people
The House of Lords EU Committee will next week take evidence from Robert Goodwill MP, Minister of State for Immigration in the Home Office and David Jones MP, Minister of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union as part of its inquiry into movement of people between the UK and the EU.
The evidence session will start at 10:30am on Wednesday 11 January in Committee Room 3 of the House of Lords.
Areas the session will cover include:
- What does ‘taking back control' of immigration mean in regards to EU citizens coming to the UK? Does it necessarily imply a reduction in the number coming to the UK?
- Is the control of immigration an objective in its own right or is it a means to an end – for example to relieve pressure on public services or increase wage levels for UK citizens?
- Is any withdrawal treaty likely to include provisions on the future flows of EU citizens to the UK and vice-versa?
- How will the desire to end free movement be balanced in the negotiations with other possible objectives such as maintaining access to the single market?
- Would it be possible to maintain free movement for students and self-sufficient persons while restricting free movement of workers?
- What protection does the Government believe it can deliver for UK citizens who wish in live and work in the EU in the future?
- What impact might a restriction on low-skilled EU immigration have on public sector employers such as the NHS? Is it likely to increase labour costs in the public sector?
