Transparency data

Migration Advisory Committee minutes, 12 May 2023

Updated 8 December 2023

Migration Advisory Committee
2nd Floor, Peel Building NE
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Minutes of the 163rd meeting of the Migration Advisory Committee

Friday 12 May 2023, 10am to 12:30pm

Hybrid conference

Attending

• Professor Brian Bell
• Professor Dina Kiwan
• Professor Sergi Pardos-Prado
• Madeleine Sumption
• Professor Jo Swaffield
• Della McVay
• Toby Nutley
• MAC Secretariat

Agenda item 1 – Welcome and introductions

1. Brian Bell opened the meeting and welcomed the attendees.

Agenda item 2 – Home Office, MAC Secretariat and MAC updates

2. Della McVay provided an update on net migration, immigration stats, an upcoming food summit, as well as fishing related discussions where the Home Office is working on regularising the status of individuals working in territorial waters. Work is also ongoing with regards to progressing elements of the Spring Budget, Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) agreements, and international medical graduates being allowed to remain in the UK after their studies to help fill GP vacancies.

3. Toby Nutley provided an update on staffing developments within the secretariat. Toby then provided a high-level overview of responses received to date to the MAC’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL) Call for Evidence (CfE). Toby also discussed ongoing work within the team including with research agency Revealing Reality. Finally, Toby provided an update on the latest position with regards to recruiting a new Chair of the MAC when Professor Bell’s role as Chair ends in August.

4. Brian provided an update on a recent meeting with Welsh government ministers.

Agenda item 3 – Shortage Occupation List – updates

5. A member of the Secretariat provided an update with regards to the methodology and purpose of forecasting estimated current going rates for occupations in light of occupational data only being available up until 2021 and how these calculations can be utilised when it comes to the MAC recommending which occupations get placed on the SOL.

6. A discussion was also held on defining the public value of an occupation and how requests for Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) 1-2 occupations to be added to the SOL should be triaged and handled.

7. An update was provided by the Secretariat on the stakeholder engagement that has been progressed as part of the SOL review and in tandem with the CfE. An overview was provided of the main themes and issues that have emerged from this stakeholder engagement.

Agenda item 4 – Seasonal work – policy proposals and research topic guide

8. A member of the Secretariat provided an update on the policy proposals starting to be developed as part of the MAC’s inquiry into the Seasonal Worker visa. The committee were asked to highlight the policy proposals they want to prioritise and focus on. The committee were also asked questions around the structure and content of the Call for Evidence due to be launched as part of the inquiry.

Agenda item 5 – Devolved nations profiles

9. A member of the Secretariat presented on the team’s next iteration of its Devolved Nation bulletin. The committee were asked for its views on the structure and timescales attached to a proposed Devolved Nation Migration Paper for future publication.

Agenda item 6 – Data project update

10. A member of the Secretariat presented an update on the team’s ongoing data project. This included insight into the sectors explored to date as well as a discussion on the intended outputs for this project.

Agenda item 7 – AOB

11. The committee and Secretariat thanked Toby Nutley for his work as head of the Secretariat ahead of him moving to a new role in the near future.