Firms ‘should pay out for English lessons’

BUSINESSES should pay out to help migrants learn English — to help benefit the local economy and community cohesion, MPs said today.

One of the main barriers to the integration of migrants is the limited English of new arrivals, according to a new report.

The Commons Communities and Local Government committee report into community cohesion and migration said the Government has a responsibility to ensure English language is available to migrants.

But the committee said as this is currently not happening with demand outstripping supply, employers should fork out and ease the burden.

The report says: “We agree that employers should pay more towards the cost of provision for their employees, but this does not negate the fact that the primary responsibility for provision lies with the Government.”

Many migrants support the local economy by helping to fill employment vacancies, but the rapid pace of inward migration can lead to pressure on local services and have a negative impact on community cohesion, it warned.

Committee chairman Dr Phyllis Starkey, said: “We found that public concerns about the effects of migration are not necessarily based on prejudice, but can arise from genuine anxieties about practical issues, such as the effect of migration on housing and other local services.”

MPs criticised ministers for using out-of-date population data when deciding its funding allocations.

Social care

The report adds: “Local public services — such as schools, social care, and translation services —are inadequately funded to respond to the extra demand from the additional population.”

MPs demanded government set up a contingency fund to be ploughed into services in specific areas experiencing high inward migration.

A spokesman for the communities and local government department said: “The Select Committee acknowledges that migration brings positive benefits but we recognise that migration can also bring challenges.

“That’s why we’ve established a £50m cohesion fund to support local authorities in managing the impacts of migration.”