Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the 18 per cent reduction in the number of National Insurance registrations in Scotland by overseas workers between 2015 and 2018, what steps his Department is taking to encourage overseas workers to Scotland.

Immigration is a reserved matter and the Government’s immigration policy applies to the whole of the United Kingdom. We consider the needs of the UK as a whole and are committed to developing an immigration system that serves the national interest.

We have set out our proposals for the future border and immigration system that would operate after 2021, in a White Paper published in December. As set out in the White Paper, we will provide for a single, global immigration system that will be based on skills rather than on where someone comes from – and is designed to attract international talent and work in the best interests of the UK economy as a whole.

Scotland’s particular circumstances and needs for skilled labour continue to be accounted for through the Scotland-specific Shortage Occupation List which allows immigration to address the gaps in Scotland’s labour market. The list broadly reflects the wider UK Shortage Occupation List, suggesting that Scotland’s skills needs are largely aligned with the rest of the UK.