Woolas sticks by promise

Immigration minister Phil Woolas today said he stuck by his controversial promise that the Government will not allow the UK's population to rise as high as 70 million.

But Mr Woolas denied that this amounted to a "numerical cap" on immigration, but was a reassurance to the public that the Government's new points-based system will ensure that the upward trend in population will be kept under control.

The new minister, who has hit the headlines several times for alleged gaffes since being appointed to his current job in this month's reshuffle, denied he had been "gagged" after withdrawing at the last minute from last night's Question Time on BBC1.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that his withdrawal was due to a Government decision that it would be better to have a minister with economic responsibilities on the show, adding: "I have just read that I've been gagged for two weeks, and yet here I am on your programme."

Mr Woolas said that there had been a series of predictions that on current trends UK population was heading up to 70 million or more, from official statisticians, the European Union and the new cross-party parliamentary group on balanced migration headed by MPs Frank Field and Nicholas Soames.

But he said that the "tough" new points-based system coming into effect next month, which will allocate work permits according to whether applicants have skills needed by the UK economy, will respond to these concerns - even though it will not affect migration from the EU, whose nationals have the right to work in Britain.

Mr Woolas said: "We are introducing the biggest shake-up in immigration policy for 45 years... that is based on a points system which allows the Government to move the hurdles up and down - the criteria by which people can come into our country to work.

"That will allow us to control the population, to answer the worries that Frank Field and Nicholas Soames have been raising. That is not the same as a numerical cap. We don't think that's appropriate."

Asked if he stood by his assurance that the Government will not let the population rise from its current 61 million to 70 million or more, Mr Woolas replied: "Yes. There are projections from our own statistics office and from Europe and some MPs that show the population as increasing towards that sort of level.

"My point is that the points-based system we are introducing allows governments to influence the numbers of people coming into the country to work, and there are other changes we are making.

"I am trying to reassure the people who are worried about speculation about increased population that they don't have to worry. The figure of 70 million is not a figure of my choosing, it is a figure speculated by others."

But he acknowledged: "What you can't factor in is how many people leave the country and you can't figure in movement from Europe. That's why you can't put a precise figure on it, but we can reassure the public that the general trend will be controlled."