Work-based Immigration
Debate between Karen Bradley and Meg Hillier
Dame Karen Bradley
The right hon. Gentleman makes his point eloquently. There are many skills that we simply do not train people in. Welding is another example: the pay is so good, why would anyone teach it on a much lower salary when they could be a welder themselves? That is why we have the problem with training welders in this country. The right hon. Gentleman makes a valuable point about sheepshearers. As an MP for a rural area, I do not have the sheepshearing problem, but I am sure that issues on dairy will be raised with me.
Dame Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)
I congratulate the Committee on this innovative work, as I would expect from the right hon. Lady as Chair, leading that team. What work has she done with the Migration Advisory Committee? It is an important committee that examines jobs that sometimes do not have names yet—certainly, that was an issue in Shoreditch, the tech part of my constituency, a number of years ago.
We move from sheepshearers to high-end chefs: my constituency is the hub of some of the best international cuisine and attracts people from around the world. However, one emerging issue is that it is difficult to get chefs in through immigration rules, even if they have studied in universities in Japan, for example, and worked in high-end restaurants around the world. Will the right hon. Lady consider the work of the Migration Advisory Committee and how it can keep up with those trends?
Dame Karen Bradley
I thank the Chair of the Liaison Committee for her support allowing us to conduct this work. She makes an important point, and I am sure that many of us have enjoyed eating and drinking in the high-end, excellent restaurants in her constituency. We ensured that experts in the areas were involved in the evaluation committee, but it is a point that we will come back to during our work.