- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it expects that the new four-tier points system for economic immigration, as announced in the Home Office document, Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain, will have on the Executive's aim of increasing immigration to Scotland.
Answer
I welcome the recognition in the Home Office’s Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain that Scotland faces particular demographicchallenges. We are pursuing these challenges through our Fresh Talent policy withinthe framework of the UK immigration system. I look forward to workingclosely with the Home Office as details of the plan are developed.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what specific methods it uses to attract economic migrants entering the United Kingdom from the EU accession states to Scotland and what funding has been allocated to support any such methods.
Answer
As part of the Fresh Talent initiative,activities are underway to promote Scotland as a place to live, work and study overseas, includingin the accession countries. For example, staff from the Fresh Talent team are attendingan education fair in Poland in March to promote Scotland as a destination of choice.We have also run articles in the Polish media to raise Scotland’s profile.Almost a tenth of the enquiries to the Relocation Advisory Service are from Polishnationals which reflects the strong links that exist between Scotland andPoland. The overall Fresh Talent budget of £1.7 million in 2004-05 includes fundingfor promotional activities overseas, including in the accession countries.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop specific policies to attract economic migrants from the EU accession states and, if so, what these plans are.
Answer
The Fresh TalentInitiative aims to attract bright, talented and hard-working individuals from allcountries, including the EU accession states, to come and live, work and study inScotland. Weare engaged in a number of activities to promote Scotland overseas, including inthe accession countries. For example, staff from the Fresh Talent team are attendingan education fair in Poland in March to promote Scotland as a destination of choice.We have also run articles in the Polish media to raise Scotland’s profile.I would expect to see results from this activity in the months and years ahead.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether there will be any flexibility within the new points system for economic immigrants entering Britain, as announced in the Home Office document, Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain, to allow any extra points to be awarded to potential economic immigrants with skills that are particularly needed in Scotland.
Answer
I refer the member to the answersto question S2W-14627 on 8 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, or plans to have, with the UK Government with regard to the impact of the potential increase in the use of Dungavel House immigration removal centre for the detention of asylum seekers following the UK Government's aim of increasing the use of detention centres for dealing with asylum seekers, as announced in the Home Office document, Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain, and what the outcome of any such discussions was.
Answer
The operation and managementof Dungavel are matters for the Home Office. Scottish Executive and Home Officeofficials have regular meetings to keep abreast of developments and discuss asylummatters as they relate to devolved services. The next meeting is scheduled for 23 March 2005 at whichwe expect the Home Office to brief Scottish Executive officials on their document.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how it expects that the UK Government's plans to restrict immigrants to bringing only immediate family to the United Kingdom, as announced in the Home Office document, Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain, will impact on the Executive's aim of attracting more immigrants to Scotland, taking account of the countries from where Scotland attracts immigrants that have cultures of extended families.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14428 on 10 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what extra resources it will make available to assist in English language training for immigrants following the UK Government's announcement of mandatory English language tests for all immigrants, as announced in the Home Office document, Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14428 on 10 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is, with regard to the situation in Scotland, on the Home Office view that following EU enlargement it is unlikely that there will continue to be a case for low-skill immigration schemes and that the schemes currently in existence should be phased out, as announced in the Home Office document, Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain.
Answer
I welcome the recognition in the Home Office’s
Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain that Scotland faces particular demographicchallenges. We are pursuing these challenges through our Fresh Talent policy withinthe framework of the UK immigration system. I look forward to workingclosely with the Home Office on the detail of how the five year plan will be implemented.
The existing low-skill schemesaccount for only a very small proportion of low-skilled migration to the UK. Accessioncountry nationals are increasingly filling low-skill jobs in the hospitality andagriculture sectors. Almost 8,000 workers from these countries have registered inScotland since the worker registration scheme came into effect on 1 May 2005 and we arelooking at ways in which we can promote Scotland in these countries and raise this figure still higher.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how it expects that the UK Government's plans to phase out schemes for low-skill immigration, as announced in the Home Office document, Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain, will impact on the Scottish labour market.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14430 on 10 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Kenny MacAskill, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 10 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how it expects that the UK Government's plans to introduce mandatory UK knowledge tests to achieve permanent residence in the United Kingdom, as announced in the Home Office document, Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain, will impact on the Executive's aim of attracting more economic immigrants to Scotland.
Answer
I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14428 on 10 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search.
