EU Migrants: National Insurance Numbers Debate

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Department: Home Office

EU Migrants: National Insurance Numbers

Greg Mulholland Excerpts
Thursday 12th May 2016

(8 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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James Brokenshire Portrait James Brokenshire
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I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for making that clear point. He recognises, as I do, the benefit that we gain from the short-term migration of EU workers. Others who fall into that category include students on short-term courses, short-term contractors and, as he has pointed out, seasonal workers. The point is that this migration is short term: those people leave and therefore do not contribute to the long-term pressures.

Greg Mulholland Portrait Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West) (LD)
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Is it not the case that national insurance numbers that have been issued are not subsequently removed? Has the Minister made an estimate of how many of the numbers relate to people who are no longer here? Will he also gently ask the Brexit campaign not to descend into dog-whistle politics over immigration?

James Brokenshire Portrait James Brokenshire
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It is important that we focus on the issues at hand this morning—namely, the national insurance numbers and the best measure for assessing long-term migration. That is what the Office for National Statistics has clearly set out, and that is the issue that we should focus on. The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about the national insurance number system, but clearly that is not the best mechanism for assessing the overall impact.