THE UK Government has ignored a Scottish MPs’ report for more than two years, it has emerged.
The cross-party Scottish Affairs Committee (SAC) – the only Westminster panel dedicated to Scottish issues – published the results of its enquiry into immigration in July 2018. It was made public while Theresa May was prime minister and two days after Boris Johnson quit as foreign secretary in protest at the Brexit strategy.
The report called for Westminster to axe its target of cutting the number of incomers amidst serious concerns about Scottish businesses, services and communities. Today it emerged that the UK Government has failed to respond to the findings.
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SAC chair Pete Wishart confirmed that as the body released a new report on coronavirus in Scotland which says the number of workers allowed to enter the UK through the Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme should rise by at least 50% and all key health and social care workers should be added to the UK shortage occupation list for Scotland.
Wishart said: “Both sectors are reliant on recruitment from abroad and despite efforts, domestic recruitment could not fill the already depleted staffing levels when the virus struck.”
On the 2018 report, the SAC said: “While we acknowledge the exceptional pressures on the government in recent years, a delay of this length is wholly unacceptable. The response must now be produced as soon as possible, and in any case no later than the end of 2020.”
Responding to the coronavirus paper, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack made no reference to the 2018 response, saying: “The UK Government is doing everything possible to keep people safe and protect the Scottish economy from the shock of the pandemic.”
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