Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Immigration White Paper, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposal to cap salaries at £30,000 on maintaining adequate levels staff in the NHS.

The Home Office is undertaking a programme of engagement with colleagues across Government and industry to discuss the proposed measures in the Immigration White Paper, including at what level any minimum salary threshold should be set. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office are working closely together to engage with the health and care sector to ensure views on the design of the future immigration system are heard.

However, we also recognise the need to boost our domestic workforce as well. The NHS Long Term Plan sets out a vital strategic framework to ensure that, over the next 10 years, the National Health Service will have the staff it needs so that nurses and doctors are working in a supportive culture that allows them to provide the expert compassionate care they are committed to providing. Baroness Dido Harding, Chair of NHS Improvement, working closely with Sir David Behan, Chair of Health Education England, will lead a number of programmes to develop a detailed workforce implementation plan. Baroness Harding and Sir David will present these initial recommendations to the Department this spring.