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.

“Our working-age population is shrinking and we need that population to grow.

“..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.

Last week, in light of the publication of the UK Government’s white paper on immigration, he said he convened a discussion of representatives from the food and drink sector, social care, the NHS, education, construction and engineering to hear from them first-hand.

“The social care sector told me that 26% of their workforce is of international origin. If those individuals are not able to make a contribution our social care system, then I don’t know how we will deliver a social care system in Scotland.”

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 the green light from the UK government and I hope we will get it in the spending review,” he said.

Speaking afterwards, he said: “We need to get it,” but he said he had been given 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.

Business costs

Ms McNeill responded to a question on rising taxes by admitting that businesses were feeling the heat.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, asked what action was being taken to help businesses facing increases in national insurance contributions and other levies.

Ms McNeill replied: “I know that [the rising costs] will be unpopular with many of you in the room.

“The rise in NICs raises £25bn to invest in public services. The record investment in the Scotland Government comes from somewhere.

“We appreciate it has cause some problems for business… it is a complicated trade-off.”

Space and AI driving economy

Alexander Holt, managing director of Seraphim Space Enterprise, told delegates that much of what drives the economy will come from technology in space and it will become a £1.8 trillion industry over the next decade.

“Access to space has become cheaper and a plethora of data is coming down,” he said. “Combine that with AI and it will transform life.

“Scotland has the capability to be a big player.”

Nicola Anderson, chief executive of Fintech Scotland, said AI would be a big driver of the future economy.

“I am talking about AI 50% of my time. It is a constant topic of conversation. If it is not in the education conversation then we need to start.”

Hiring potential from US

Speakers agreed that the current turmoil in the US was an opportunity for Scotland to attract talent.

Mr Holt said Scottish organisations should be sending people to the west coast and elsewhere to tempt them to Scotland.

He said they should not be deterred by the huge salary expectations. “We have to consider that £300,000 salary as £300,000 well spent.”

See also:

Migration policy will hit engineering