Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 May 2023, HCWS800 on Immigration update, what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence she has had with Scottish Ministers on the her immigration update.

The package of measures we have introduced to reform the student route strikes the right balance between protecting the economic benefits students can bring to the UK whilst meeting the Government’s commitment to lower net migration.

We consider our Public Sector Equality Duty in the development of all policy, and an Equality Impact Assessment was produced and considered in developing this package of reforms.

We regularly engage with a range of organisations to understand potential policy impacts, including with Universities Scotland and the Scottish Government. The Devolved Governments were informed of the publication of the Written Ministerial Statement on 23 May by way of a letter from Home Office Ministers.

The public rightly expects us to control immigration and ensure we have a system that works in the UK’s best interests. and The Department for Education will lead the review of education agents.

We keep all our immigration policies under constant review to ensure they best serve the UK and reflect the public’s priorities.