asked Her Majesty's Government:

What consultation they carried out with industry before deciding to remove the following groups of engineering occupations from the shortage occupation list (a) structural engineers; (b) bridge or highway engineers; (c) transport modeller or transport economist; (d) traffic signal engineer; (e) highways maintenance engineer; and (f) railway planner or engineer. [HL989]

Work Permits (UK) consulted key independent industry stakeholders before making a decision to remove the occupations stated from the national shortage occupation list. The stakeholders, all members of the Engineering Sector Advisory Panel, meet on a quarterly basis to advise Work Permits (UK) on skills shortages in the sector, and make recommendations on changes to the national shortage occupation list on the basis of labour market research.

In July 2006, the panel agreed that there was no evidence of continuing national skills shortages in any of the occupations stated and endorsed the removal of these occupations from the national shortage occupation list. Work Permits (UK) also consulted the Department for Transport before a final decision was taken.

The following organisations were consulted, as members of the Engineering Sector Advisory Panel:

Association for Consultancy and Engineering

CITB Construction Skills

Cogent

Department of Trade and Industry

Energy & Utility Skills

Engineering and Technology Board

Engineering Construction Industry Training Board

Engineering Council UK

Hyder Consulting Ltd

Institution of Chemical Engineers

Institution of Civil Engineers

Institution of Highways and Transportation

Institution of Railway Signal Engineers

Professional Contractors Group

Railway Civil Engineers Association

SEMTA

SummitSkills