Home Affairs Committee announces a new inquiry into the proposed cap on immigration

Oral Evidence Session

Tuesday 20 July 2010
Wilson Room, Portcullis House, House of Commons

At 11.00 am
Dr Adam Marshall, British Chamber of Commerce
David Ramsden, Federation of Small Businesses

At approximately 11.30 am
Damian Green MP, Minister for Immigration

At approximately 12.15 pm
Lin Homer, Chief Executive, UK Border Agency

The Committee will take evidence from the Immigration Minister and representatives of British business on the introduction this month of a temporary cap on non-EU economic migration, and proposals for the introduction of a permanent cap from April 2011. It will also discuss the operation of the UK Border Agency with its Chief Executive, including progress against processing historic asylum cases and deporting foreign national prisoners.

Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chair of the Committee, said:

“The Home Secretary has already implemented a temporary cap on non-EU economic migration and announced plans for a permanent cap from April 2011. The Committee looks forward to discussing with the Immigration Minister the detail of how both caps might work, the numbers involved and how they could be administered. We also wish to explore the impact a cap will have on British business and the economy.”

“We will also question the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency on what progress has been made in processing historic asylum claims. Our predecessor Committee reported in December that case handling had become “chaotic”, and the subsequent report from the Independent Chief Inspector of UKBA concluded that the deadline for processing the backlog was unlikely to be met.”