Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to include the Skilled Worker Visa occupation code SOC 9119 under the Temporary Shortage Occupation List.

On 2 July the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to review the long term composition of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL).

In future, as the Immigration White Paper sets out, for occupations with a skills requirement of RQF 3-5 (below degree level) where there have been long term shortages, we will only permit use of the Points-Based immigration system on a time limited basis where the MAC has advised it is justified, where there is a workforce strategy in place, and where employers seeking to recruit from abroad are committed to playing their part in increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce. Sectors will only be potentially added to the Temporary Shortage list if they are key to the industrial strategy or delivering critical infrastructure and following advice from the MAC.

I would encourage you to write to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on workforce matters for the fishing sector.