§ Mr. SimmondsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many skilled migrants were working in(a) the NHS and (b) the education sector on the last date for which figures are available. [157584]
§ Ruth KellyI have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Simmonds, dated 9 March 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about skilled migrant workers in the NHS and in the Education sector. (157584)
The attached table gives the available information from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the three month period ending in November 2003. "Migrant" workers have been identified from the survey as those people working in the UK whose nationality is not British. The surveys does not analyse data specifically according to "skills", but for this purpose "skills" have been represented in terms of a person's highest qualification.
As with any statistical sample survey, estimates for the LFS are subject to sampling variability.
Non-British nationals of working age1 working in the NHS and the Education sector, by highest qualification held 3 month period ending November 2003 Thousand Health authority or NHS trust Education Sector2 Highest qualification Degree or equivalent 41 23 Higher education 35 * GCE A Level or equivalent * * GCSE grades A-C or equivalent * * Other qualification 36 10 No qualification * * 1 Applies to all men aged 16–64 and women 16–59 2 This includes University, Polytechnic or other grant funded educational establishments. * Sample size too small for reliable estimate. Source: ONS—Labour Force Survey.