People who wish to settle in the UK permanently should be able to speak English.

The Government wants spouses to have a basic command of the language before they arrive here. A commitment to learn English once they are in the UK will no longer do.

I can see issues involving, say, elderly spouses where learning a new language could be an uphill struggle. And a costly one too.

Nevertheless, in principle, it is right that people who freely choose to make the UK their home can speak the language.

Without English, it is difficult to find work. There is too little interaction with others outside their own immediate communities. That’s bad for them and bad for the rest of us.

Around 35,000 spouses enter the UK every year for settlement. This is a significant number; it roughly equates to the adult population of my old Pendle constituency every two years.

So it is absolutely right to get those new arrivals up and running asap.

One further thought… When I was an MP, it bothered me no end (and still does) that around 75% of British Pakistani women of working age and living in Pendle are not in employment. The figure for white women is around 25%.

Increasing the number of people from groups woefully under-represented in the labour market should be a top priority.

Clearly, it is not something that will happen overnight but it is something to aim for over the medium to long term.

Ted Cantle and others have warned about the growth of parallel communities, separated by ethnicity and religion and living in their own neighbourhoods.

If people don’t mix at work and if their children don’t mix at school then, believe me, we’ve got problems.