Question reference: S5W-16559
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 9 May 2018
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Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 May 2018
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has taken forward the recommendation by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in its report, The paediatric workforce: Focus on Scotland, to raise with the UK Government what the college advised was the need to ensure that, within the immigration rules, paediatrics should be included on the Scottish shortage occupation list, with exemption from the resident labour market test, and, if so, what response it has received.
Answer
I can confirm that the paediatrics specialty is currently on both the UK and Scotland Only Shortage Occupation List (SOL). In using either of these lists, Boards are free to recruit internationally to any of the medical occupations listed on the UK or (SOL) List, without the need to go through a Resident Labour Market Test.
We will continue to promote retention of the specialty on the shortage occupations lists, engaging with both the UK Government and the Migration Advisory Committee, as appropriate.