HC Deb 03 March 1998 vol 307 cc606-8W
Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the Government Departments which have applied for work permits for foreign nationals to work on computer-related matters since 1 May 1997. [32350]

Mr. Alan Howarth

The Government Departments which have applied for work permits for work on computer-related matters since 1 May 1997 are the Home Office and the Department for International Development.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the companies which have applied for work permits for foreign national IT staff in the last year. [32351]

Mr. Alan Howarth

A complete list of the companies which have applied for work permits for IT staff in the last year is not available from the Department's computer record and would be disproportionately costly to produce.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many requests for work permits have been received in the past 12 months for foreign nationals to work on computer-related matters. [32349]

Mr. Alan Howarth

Precise figures are not readily available. Approximately 4,800 work permit applications were received in the past 12 months in respect of work on computer-related matters.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many work permits have been issued to Indian nationals to work on computer-related matters in the last 12 months. [32348]

Mr. Alan Howarth

Precise figures are not readily available. Approximately 2,800 work permits were issued to Indian nationals for computer-related work in the last 12 months.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what checks for work permits are made on IT consultancy firms who employ foreign nationals on contract in the United Kingdom. [32345]

Mr. Alan Howarth

All work permit applications are assessed against published criteria. Checks on companies' compliance with requirements for work permits is a matter for the Home Office.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the number of IT professionals from countries whose nationals require a work permit, who are currently working in the United Kingdom without a work permit. [32344]

Mr. Alan Howarth

I am not able to make an estimate of the number of IT professionals currently working in the United Kingdom without a work permit.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many work permits have been issued to Chinese nationals to work on computer-related matters in the last 12 months. [32343]

Mr. Alan Howarth

Precise figures are not readily available. Approximately 40 work permits were issued to Chinese nationals for computer-related work in the last 12 months.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many work permits have been issued to IT professionals from countries outside the United Kingdom in the last 12 months. [32342]

Mr. Alan Howarth

Precise figures are not readily available. In the last 12 months over 3,000 work permits were issued to IT professionals.