§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the quota for applications from persons working in Hong Kong for work permits for the current year; and how many permits have been issued to date;
(2) what was the quota for applications from persons living in Hong Kong for work permits in the United Kingdom, 116W in each of the last five years; and how many were granted in each year.
§ Mr. MayhewPermits for citizens of Hong Kong who do not satisfy the skills criteria of the general work permit scheme are issued within the special quota for dependent territories. For the years 1975 to 1979 the number of permits for any one territory was restricted to 200. Continuance of the special arrangements in 1980 is still under consideration. However, 46 applications to employ citizens of Hong Kong who do not satisfy the skills criteria of the work permit scheme are being held pending a decision. Permits issued for applications which satisfy the requirements of the work permit scheme, including the skill criteria are dealt with under the normal procedures and do not count against the quota.
Information on the number of permits issued is as follows:
Permits issued for Hong Kong under the quota 1975 200 1976 200 1977 146 1978 124 1979 200 1980 —
Permits issued for Hong Kong—all 1975 1681 1976 993 1977 637 1978 639 1979 (prov) (630) 1980 N/A The figures for permits include both permits issued for those workers overseas and permissions given to those already in this country for some other reason. They do not include foreign student employers or Commonwealth trainees, for whom permission was given for limited periods of supernumerary employment or for employment which was essential to a course of study.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the quota for applications from persons living in the United States of America for work permits in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and how many were issued in each year.
§ Mr. MayhewThere have been no numerical restrictions on the numbers of work permits issued for citizens of the 117W United States of America. Any application satisfying the requirements of the work permit scheme would have been approved.
The numbers of applications approved for citizens of the USA were as follows:
1975 4,388 1976 (estimated) 5,325 1977 4,911 1978 5,868 1979 (provisional) 5,971 The figures do not include those for student employees, for whom permission was given for limited periods of supernumerary employment. Neither do they include work permits for United States citizens taking work in Northern Ireland, which operates its own work permit scheme.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the present age limit for applications from persons living abroad for work permits in the United Kingdom; if he has any plans to increase this age limit; and if he will make a statement;
(2) how many work permits were issued for persons living abroad for permission to work in the United Kingdom during the past five years who were over the official age limit;
(3) how many work permits were issued to citizens of the United States of America to work in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years who were over the qualifying age.
§ Mr. MayhewIn general only persons between the ages of 23 and 54 years of age are considered for the issue of work permits. The upper age limit is occasionally waived, however, when the overseas national concerned has some exceptional skill or very specialised knowledge to offer and the need for his services has been fully justified.
The age policy, like other policies of the work permit scheme, is under regular review. I do not propose at present to change either age limit.
My Department's statistical records make no analysis by age.
Such information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.