New Partnership with the EU

Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston Excerpts

Tuesday 17th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

As ever, my hon. Friend is right. The point I tried to make earlier—I think it was made this morning, too—is that this is not only important to us, but to the European Union.

[Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston) (Lab)]

If we are looking for things that unite us and enable us to exit the European Union more smoothly, may I suggest to the Secretary of State that he starts talking to the Home Office and to Ministers who deal with universities to find a way to properly remove the numbers of international students from the immigration figures?

[Mr Davis]

Having explained earlier how I got the job by being oleaginous to the boss, I think answering that question would lose me the job because that is a matter for the Home Office. As I said earlier in answer to other questions, the right hon. Lady can be sure that the operation of the immigration policy after we depart the European Union will be in the national interest. That includes in the interest of our incredibly powerful and effective university sector.