UK, Ireland /
Why do Poles come to England? [514]
jonniRecord levels of immigration have had "little or no impact" on the economic well-being of Britons, an influential House of Lords committee has said.
It says competition from immigrants has had a negative impact on the low paid and training for young UK workers, and has contributed to high house prices.
The peers want a limit on immigration levels - a view backed by the Tories.
We are delighted they say there should be an explicit target range for immigration through controls on non-EU applicants," he said.
"This is a policy that we have been arguing for, for years and which the government has consistently rejected."
Chris Huhne, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesman, said the report made clear that "the government has completely lost track of the number of people who live in this country".
"No wonder there is a total inability to manage immigration or create policies that deal with its effects."
'Motivated workers'
Ex-Tory chancellor Nigel Lawson said: "Population increases make countries bigger, but they don't make countries more prosperous.
"The increased size of the economy is neither here nor there if it doesn't bring increased prosperity. And the reason it doesn't is because there are more mouths to feed, more people there."
