§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on the relationship between the number of work permits granted to overseas applicants to work in the IT industry and vacancy levels and unemployment levels among domestic employees in that sector. [132309]
§ Ms HewittThe government's Sector Advisory Panel for IT meets regularly to assess the system for issuing work permits. The composition of the panel is broad and includes members from representative organisations and contractor groups. This panel advises in the UK's national interest and ensures that we strike the right balance between enabling employers to move skilled staff from within their companies while protecting job opportunities for resident workers. This policy is kept under regular review.