McNeill says ‘no appetite’ for Scottish visa – Daily Business

Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill today said there was “no appetite” for a specific immigration policy for Scotland, despite regular pleas from the Scottish government.

Ms McNeill told a gathering of business, education and third sector leaders that the UK government had consulted and called for evidence.

“There is no appetite for a separate immigration policy, she told the Prosper Forum in Edinburgh, adding the the UK minister for immigration had been involved in “a lot of dialogue” with Holyrood.

“We have asked for evidence and we did not receive it. Give us the evidence and we will make Scotland’s case, but there is no call for a separate immigration policy.”

Ms McNeill’s comments came after First Minister John Swinney told the same gathering at an Edinburgh University conference centre that the labour force needed to be boosted by getting more inactive people into work, and by more migration.

“..and I am profoundly concerned by the direction of travel on migration,” he said. “The level of debate is going in entirely the wrong direction”.

He said that he spoke about this at a meeting with the Prime Minister in Downing Street last week. “We need a mature debate on migration,” said Mr Swinney who, along with his deputy Kate Forbes, has demanded a Scottish visa to tackle skills shortages.

In his address to 170 delegates, Mr Swinney said he hoped that the UK government would agree to a carbon capture and storage system for Scotland.

“We need to get it,” he said afterwards, but he said there was no indication that it would be approved.

Earlier he outlined how the government was already tackling a number of the policy areas that will be recommended by Prosper in its five-year blueprint, due to be published on 19 June.

These include tackling skills, boosting economic activity and investment, accelerating technology innovation, committing to net zero and a focus on local and regional growth.

He drew attention to last week’s investment in a hydrogen fuel plant in Scotland, the impact of the Scottish Edge programme in supporting young companies and the progress made on installing electric vehicle charging points as examples of the government in action.

“I hope this gives you some assurance that the government is on the same wavelength as Prosper,” he said.