Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a bespoke skilled worker visa route for people working on NI-GB ferries.

The Immigration White paper, published 12 May, set out proposed reforms in a number of areas including raising the skills threshold to RQF level 6 and for RQF levels 3-5 roles, with time-limited and conditional access to the immigration system only to be provided if the Migration Advisory Committee are content there is an effective workforce strategy in place. Further details will be set out in due course.