Migration Advisory Committee minutes, 17 April 2020
Published 28 July 2021
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126th meeting of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)
Friday 17 April 2020 11am to 1:30pm
Video / Telephone conference
Attending:
- Professor Brian Bell
- Dr Jennifer Smith
- Madeleine Sumption
- Professor Jo Swaffield
- Paul Regan
- MAC Secretariat
Agenda item 1 – Welcome
1. Brian Bell opened the meeting, welcoming everyone to the first MAC meeting by Skype.
Agenda item 2 – Home Office, MAC Secretariat and MAC updates
2. Paul Regan provided an update on Home Office business. The Home Office was very focussed on ensuring the immigration system could continue operating in the current circumstances, with necessary adjustments to take account of Covid-19. The Government remained committed to the launch of the FBIS on 1st Jan 2021. Key stakeholders were currently very pre-occupied with current operations rather than considering future ones at the moment and there was uncertainty about what the economic position of the UK would be once the Covid-19 crisis was over. The number of applications for the EU settlement scheme had continued to increase.
3. Toby Nutley provided an update on secretariat business. Interviews for the position of chair took place last week. The process has also now started for replacing Jennifer Smith and Jackline Wahba when their terms end in September. The criteria for the positions have changed; the economist requirement has been replaced with the need for experience and knowledge of the MAC and its business, as well as one of the positions to be filled by someone with a knowledge of devolved administrations.
4. Brian Bell will give an update at the next meeting from his upcoming Ministerial meeting.
Agenda item 3 – Priority
5. The secretariat raised whether the issue of priority should also be discussed in the SOL report in addition to shortage and the potential options for doing so.
Agenda item 4 – Approach to RQF6+ occupations
6. The secretariat outlined how RQF6+ occupations will be reviewed given the 2019 SOL report.
Agenda item 5 – Employer research for the SOL update
7. The secretariat provided an update on the call for evidence and the employer research project as well as the future timeline for both. The committee noted the need for sensitive handling given the situation with COVID19.
Agenda item 6 – SOL stakeholder engagement
8. The secretariat provided an update on stakeholder engagement events. Again, the issues around COVID19 were discussed.
Agenda item 7 – Data availability
9. The secretariat provided an update on data availability currently and in the future particularly given potential COVID19 delays to data collection and changes to the scope of these.
Agenda item 8 – Annual Report
10. The secretariat presented a skeleton of the annual report for committee debate with the need for a COVID19 section being highlighted.
Agenda item 9 – MAC and Scotland
11. Toby Nutley gave an update on how the MAC’s role and team structure may change in future with regards to Scotland and the other devolved administrations.
Agenda item 10 – Skill level language
12. The secretariat suggested considering the language used to describe skill levels, with potential alternatives being discussed.