Companies asked to pay for English lessons

The British government has asked companies to pay for English lessons for staff and to give them study time. The Home Secretary said that people need to be able to speak English to become a "full member" of British society.

In fact, under the new points-based system for migrants, new immigrants will need to show they can speak some English in order to get a visa. There will also be a compulsory English language test for people who want to marry British citizens and live in the UK.

The proposal to ask businesses to contribute to language courses comes after a report showing that the government spends over £100m a year on translation services. Offering translation rather than language courses may actually discourage immigrants from learning English and integrating well into Britain.