Temporary Skilled Worker Visas: Creative Occupations

Debate between Lord Hanson of Flint and Lord Tyrie

Thursday 4th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Tyrie (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, do the Government accept that, across a wide range of skills, the country is simply unable at the moment to attract many of the most talented people that it needs in order to secure growth, and that part of the problem is the administrative burden, which has just been alluded to, of making those applications? Will they undertake a review of the administration of the scheme in order to try to obtain those skilled workers?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I refer the noble Lord to the immigration White Paper that the Government produced last year, which will see itself translated into potential legislative proposals during the course of the forthcoming year that will be subject to scrutiny in both Houses. The purpose of the immigration White Paper was to say that there are certain skills that we need and that, if we can, those skills should be met from the UK’s workforce, and, if not, we will upskill. If there are other skills, then certainly there have to be some strictures around how we attract those skills to the UK. The Government’s central mission is one of encouraging growth. That is what we are trying to do within the remit of managing our borders in a secure and safe way.

Citizenship Applications

Debate between Lord Hanson of Flint and Lord Tyrie

Wednesday 12th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

The guidance is there and the ability of the Government to change that guidance is there. We have made a Statement to the House of Commons in relation to that guidance being changed.

There are many individuals who reside in the United Kingdom who live, work and enjoy the benefits of living in the United Kingdom and who are not British citizens. The right of citizenship is a different issue. As I said to my noble friend Lord Boateng, individuals can apply for citizenship, but the presumption is that they will be refused if they have entered illegally, unless there are compelling, mitigating circumstances. That is our position. That it is not worse than the Rwanda scheme—we are repealing the Rwanda scheme. We are changing the immigration scheme through the immigration Bill, which will come before this House in due course. The noble Baroness will know that there are major steps in that Bill to end the pernicious trade of people trafficking, to stop the wasteful Rwanda scheme, and to ensure that we place immigration and migration on a proper footing. Further, there will be an immigration White Paper later this year, which will cover a range of issues, including the needs of society and the need for immigration for the British economy and growth.

[Lord Tyrie (Non-Afl)]

The more that we listen to this, the more a number of us conclude that this is a major change that deserves much more substantial consideration and scrutiny by both Houses of Parliament before it comes into force. Does the Minister accept that for refugees who have come here by whatever means, and who have become stateless and remain here indefinitely, under this measure, unless they are subject to what the Minister described a moment ago as citizenship on an exceptional basis, they are going to find themselves second-class citizens?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I accept that there will be individuals who either arrive here as stateless or subsequently find themselves stateless through loss of documents. There is a stateless route for application for leave to remain, and that remains in place. The Home Office has had to examine the question of British citizenship. In doing so, this guidance has been published. It is subject to—as it is today—discussion, comment and representation from Members of this House and the House of Commons.