Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on incentivising migrants to work in key industries in Scotland.

I have had frequent discussions with the Deputy First Minister of Scotland and have been clear that immigration should not be used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems here at home. We value the important contribution made by workers from overseas, but we need to consider issues in the round, and work with industries to ensure they can attract the workforces they need for the future. To achieve this we are strengthening the Migration Advisory Committee, and establishing a framework for joint working with skills bodies across the UK, the Industrial Strategy Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.