Visas: Highly Skilled People

Lord Austin of Dudley Excerpts

Wednesday 26th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Lemos (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that question. I pay tribute to his experience and commitment in this area. I too have history in the prison system, as it were: I was lead non-executive director of the Prison Service for many years, so I know first-hand some of the recruitment and retention problems that it faces. I totally understand the problem but, as I have said, these are all matters under consultation and we will make sure to try to avoid unintended consequences where we can. We take very seriously the problem that my noble friend has highlighted.

[Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)]

My Lords—

[The Earl of Clancarty (CB)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Lemos (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for that question. It is an issue that he has raised before, and one about which I am concerned. Indeed, I addressed it in my maiden speech. As I have already said, we announced on 14 October that we will aim to double the number of highly skilled people coming to the UK on the high skilled routes, precisely to address the issues he raises relating to the creative sectors.

[Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford (Con)]

My Lords—

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

It is the turn of the non-affiliated Benches.

[Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)]

With 1 million young people not in education, training or work, and with the number of apprenticeships having collapsed in this country, how can it possibly make sense for us to waive the visa rules to bring in roofers, bricklayers, carpenters and care workers, let alone nurses and other NHS workers? These are all highly skilled roles, but we can train young people up to do them quite quickly. Would it not make much more sense to massively increase the number of apprenticeships available for young people who are in this country already?

[Lord Lemos (Lab)]

Yes, it absolutely would, and that is what the Government are seeking. My noble friend will have noted some of the announcements on apprenticeships in the Budget. The skilled workers route is by far the largest route for these high skills; it is more than 250,000 people. We need to upskill the resident community, but we have raised the skills levels required for the skilled worker route and the salary levels. The occupational lists have been restricted, and we have created a temporary shortage list. I believe we are addressing exactly some of the points that my noble friend made.