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Foreign worker numbers revised Hain sorry for 'wrong' figures
(30 minutes later)
The government has revised its figures for the number of foreign nationals working in the UK since 1997 - from 800,000 to 1.1 million. Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain has apologised after ministers admitted that 300,000 more immigrants were working in the UK than first thought.
The extra 300,000, found after analysis of the Labour Force Survey, shows 8% of the UK's 29.1m workforce are foreign. New figures show that the number of foreign nationals employed in the UK since 1997 is 1.1m, not the 800,000 officially recorded.
Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said he does not have accurate statistics on where the people are from. Mr Hain has written to his Tory shadow Chris Grayling to admit that incorrect figures were given in Commons answers.
Tory leader David Cameron said the current level of immigration to the UK should be "substantially lower". Mr Grayling said the admission was "an extraordinary development".
The new government figures for foreign national workers relate to new jobs that have been created over the last 10 years. It comes just hours before the government is expected to extend controls on the number of Romanian and Bulgarian workers coming to the UK.
Immigration 'shake up' 'Good faith'
The Department for Work and Pensions stressed that ministers had used the earlier 800,000 estimate "in good faith". The extra 300,000 was found after analysis of the Labour Force Survey, which is compiled by the Office for National Statistics, showed 8% of the UK's 29.1m workforce was foreign.
"Following detailed analysis of the information contained within the Labour Force Survey, the figure has been revised to 1.1 million," a spokesman said. The new figures relate to new jobs that have been created over the last 10 years.
I just don't accept that actually having a proper understanding of population, demography, household formation or poverty is somehow a left wing issue or a right wing issue David Cameron Analysis: The big issues Population 'to hit 65m' In full: Cameron speech I apologise for having to make this revision Peter Hain Analysis: The big issues Population 'to hit 65m' In full: Cameron speech
He said just under half the 1.1m were EU nationals, while the remainder came from other non-EU and Commonwealth countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) stressed that ministers had used the earlier 800,000 estimate "in good faith".
And in his letter to Mr Grayling, Mr Hain said: "It was stated that the increase in the number of foreign nationals in employment since 1997 was 0.8 million.
"Following careful analysis of the information in the Labour Force Survey, this figure has been revised upwards by 0.3 million.
"This revised analysis shows that there are, in total, an extra 1.1 million foreign nationals in employment in the UK since 1997.
"I apologise for having to make this revision," Mr Hain said, stressing that the new figure was the most "robust estimate available".
'Competence' questioned
He said the change would affect previous government responses on how many of the 2.7m jobs created since Labour came to power in 1997 have gone to British workers.
"I previously stated that two million of these jobs have gone to British workers," he said.
"However, we have subsequently discovered that it is not technically accurate to make this comparison."
Unsustainable demographic change makes it harder to build the opportunity society I want to see David Cameron
Mr Grayling said the admission called "into question the competence of ministers and of the government as a whole".
"The fact that the government did not know the true number of overseas workers who have come to the UK in the past 10 years is profoundly worrying and confirms fears that ministers have simply lost control of our systems for migrant workers."
A DWP spokesman said just under half the 1.1m foreign workers were EU nationals, while the remainder came from other non-EU and Commonwealth countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.
The revised figures only emerged after Tory shadow work and pensions minister James Clappison submitted a series of written parliamentary questions.The revised figures only emerged after Tory shadow work and pensions minister James Clappison submitted a series of written parliamentary questions.
Mr Byrne told the BBC: "It's always frustrating when new information like this emerges. Immigration Minister Liam Byrne told the BBC: "It's always frustrating when new information like this emerges.
"But it underlines the point that it was a mistake to remove exit controls and why we urgently need new systems in place to count people in and count people out of the country."But it underlines the point that it was a mistake to remove exit controls and why we urgently need new systems in place to count people in and count people out of the country.
"And for those foreign nationals who are here we need to make sure they have ID cards so we know who they are.""And for those foreign nationals who are here we need to make sure they have ID cards so we know who they are."
Border police force
However, he said the government was introducing the "biggest shake-up" of immigration in its history.However, he said the government was introducing the "biggest shake-up" of immigration in its history.
This also includes: the introduction of a new Australian-style points-based system of immigration to ensure only those who benefit Britain can settle here, a border police force and electronic checks on everyone entering and leaving the UK by 2014.This also includes: the introduction of a new Australian-style points-based system of immigration to ensure only those who benefit Britain can settle here, a border police force and electronic checks on everyone entering and leaving the UK by 2014.
Currently 200,000 more people move to live in the UK than leave each year.Currently 200,000 more people move to live in the UK than leave each year.
Pressures Earlier, Conservative leader David Cameron told the BBC that figure should be cut by imposing annual limits on the numbers of people moving to work in the UK from outside the EU.
Mr Cameron told the BBC that figure should be cut by imposing annual limits on the numbers of people moving to work in the UK from outside the EU.
And people from new EU countries should be subject to controls on access to the labour market - as the government has done for Romania and Bulgaria.And people from new EU countries should be subject to controls on access to the labour market - as the government has done for Romania and Bulgaria.
He declined to give a precise figure but said action was needed because of the recent increase in immigration and the pressure on services and society. 'Not right-wing issue'
He declined to give a precise figure but said action was needed because of the recent increase in immigration, people living longer, more people choosing to live alone and the pressure on services and society.
He denied a move to right-wing issues, saying it had to be considered "in the round" in calm language.He denied a move to right-wing issues, saying it had to be considered "in the round" in calm language.
Last week the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated the UK population would rise by 4.4 million, to 65 million, by 2016 and to 71 million by 2031.
Border police
Mr Cameron said immigration had to be considered alongside other pressures including people living longer and more people choosing to live alone.
Unsustainable demographic change makes it harder to build the opportunity society I want to see David Cameron
"Our current level of population growth and atomisation is unsustainable," he said.
"Immigration is too high. Family breakdown is too high. Unsustainable demographic change makes it harder to build the opportunity society I want to see."
Mr Cameron said he would set up a border police force to track down and remove illegal migrants and to raise the minimum age for spouses coming to Britain to 21 as well as ensuring they could speak English.Mr Cameron said he would set up a border police force to track down and remove illegal migrants and to raise the minimum age for spouses coming to Britain to 21 as well as ensuring they could speak English.
But Mr Byrne said Mr Cameron's plans were a "smokescreen" as 80% of immigrants to Britain last year were from the European Economic Area. Last week the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated the UK population would rise by 4.4 million, to 65 million, by 2016 and to 71 million by 2031.
"If David Cameron wants to have a serious conversation about these issues, he should start by offering some detailed policy proposals and not merely rehash platitudes that we have heard from him before," he said.
"He talks of a limit on immigration numbers but nowhere does he say what this would be."
Human rights abuses
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said it was "fantasy politics" and said Mr Cameron was "pandering to the right wing in his own party and claims that immigration numbers should be cut without having the faintest clue as to how that would happen".
UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said British Conservatives in the European Parliament had been "the greatest enthusiasts of open borders to Eastern Europe, which is where the huge rise in immigration has come from".
Habib Rahman, chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said: "If the Conservatives are really serious about stemming non-EU migration, David Cameron should have committed the party to specific objectives on reducing global social injustice and human rights abuses."