DRAFT PRESS NOTICE
Ref:Press0.42
EMBARGOED UNTIL 24 JULY 4.00PM
SPECIAL WORK PERMIT QUOTA FOR DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
The Secretary of State for Employment announced today that the special quota of work permits for unskilled and semi-skilled workers from the Dependent Territories is being reduced for 1991
and will be phased out over four years.
This special quota enables a small number of workers whose level
of skill is below that required by the general work permit scheme
to take up jobs in the UK.
Mr Michael
In reply to a Parliamentary Question from
Howard said that it had been decided there should be a quota for
1991 of 170 permits for use by Dependent Territories, with a
maximum of 125 for Hong Kong.
The Government has also taken the opportunity to review the
longer-term position of the special Dependent Territories work
permit quota. It has concluded that the quota is now anomalous
and inconsistent with Britain's immigration control, in that it
grants permits for jobs with skill levels below those required
under the general Work Permit Scheme. With increasing pressures
on immigration worldwide, it is important that our rules are
consistent.
The quota scheme was never intended to continue indefinitely and
has now served its purpose. Accordingly, the Government has
decided that
that the quota should end. However, in order that
Dependent Territories should have time to adjust to this, the
quota will be phased out gradually, as in the table below.
Citizens from Dependent Territories will still be covered by the
Work Permit Scheme, which allows non-EC nationals to be employed