The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has commented on the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) report into the UK’s future immigration policy.
The report, which the BBPA has contributed to, outlines why immigration matters to 18 different sectors of the economy. It also makes 17 policy recommendations to inform the structure of the post-Brexit immigration system.
BBPA chief executive, Brigid Simmonds, said: “This report from the CBI features many positive recommendations that the government should consider. In particular, we are pleased to see that the CBI have reiterated our calls to reform the tier 2 visa system, should it be extended to covering EU as well as non-EU nationals.
“This includes giving employers access to the range of talent they need, not only workers with a salary of £30,000 or more. This is particularly important to the pub sector, where the average salary of a chef was £22,500 in 2015, which is why we continue to push for reform to the tier 2 visa system.
“We also welcome the CBI’s call to simplify the whole immigration and visa process, so it is easier for businesses to manage in the coming years. Most pubs operate as small businesses and have a high level of staff turnover, making the current process of becoming a licensed sponsor prohibitively expensive and time consuming.
“As the leading voice for the brewing and pubs sector, we continue to call for a clear future immigration policy that supports pubs, the wider hospitality industry, and the UK economy as a whole. This means a policy that ensures employers continue to have access to talent from abroad, whilst also recognising the importance of developing domestic talent.”
