Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the UK's points-based immigration system policy statement, published 19 February 2020, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including a foreign language competency as a tradeable characteristic.

The new points-based system will be introduced from 1 January 2021.

The operation of the system will be kept under review and, as the policy statement published on 19 February makes clear, the Home Office will continue to refine it in light of experience and will consider adding further flexibility into the system including additional attributes which can be ‘traded’ against a lower salary.