Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what research he has commissioned on the economic loss incurred as a result of the emigration of highly-skilled workers from the UK.

No such work has been commissioned to date.

In the year ending March 2014 net migration to the UK, the difference between the number of people entering and leaving the UK, stood at +243,000.

Latest figures from the ONS show that 316,000 emigrated from the UK whilst 560,000 immigrated to it. Of those emigrating 131,000 were UK citizens, accounting for 41% of the total numbers, and of this number 57% emigrated for work related reasons, (although there is no clarification whether the work was highly skilled or not).