Immigration restrictions will be a hammer blow to building affordable homes – MP tells Chancellor

On the floor of the House of Commons this morning, local MP Tim Farron warned the Government that their new immigration proposals would leave a gaping hole in the construction workforce needed to build affordable homes in the South Lakes.

This week the Prime Minister is set to give the go ahead to plans which would prevent migrants from working in the UK unless they earn at least £25,600 a year.

Speaking during Treasury Questions, Tim said: "In the South Lakes, we have 3,000 local families waiting for a council house.

"And yet the Government's own Migration Advisory Committee says the Government's plan for visas and migrant pay will see an 8% reduction in the construction workforce.

"So will the Chancellor explain who is going to build the homes that families in the South Lakes so desperately need."

In response, the Chancellor Sajid Javid said the Government's proposed points-based immigration system would ensure that the needs of the construction industry are met.

Speaking afterwards, Tim said: "Whether it be building the affordable homes we need for local families, or providing hospitality in our world-class National Park, it's abundantly clear that the Government's new immigration plans will bite hard in Cumbria.

"Vague promises about a points-based system - which the Government's own migration committee have labelled a "soundbite" - do not inspire confidence.

"We need to see the Government start to live in the real world and come forward with real proposals about how they intend to address the huge gaps in the workforce that their new plans are set to create."