Cumbria Tourism has given a cautious welcome to news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is re-considering the proposed £30,000 minimum salary threshold for immigrant workers arriving after Brexit.

However, it is urging the Government to ensure a system that "genuinely encourages people with the skills that our tourism and hospitality sector needs".

The Government is reportedly considering an Australian-style points system, with the Migration Advisory Committee due to report back fully this week with proposals for the new scheme.

Managing director of Cumbria Tourism Gill Haigh said: “Scrapping the arbitrary £30k rule would certainly be a step in the right direction, in terms of removing a significant barrier to recruitment from overseas.

“However, that’s not to say that it will be easier to recruit tourism and hospitality workers from overseas.

"This change will make no difference if the new points threshold is too high, so we will be encouraging the Government to develop a points-based system that genuinely encourages people with the skills that our tourism and hospitality sector needs.

"This is vitally important in an area like Cumbria where there is already a significant labour shortage.”

Cumbria Tourism’s stance is supported by the Lake District Hotel Association.

Chairman of the LDHA Joe Cobb said: “This issue is all the more pertinent in Cumbria, where there is already a major labour shortage.

“Cumbria’s population is less than half a million – and ageing fast – meaning there is a limit on the number of eligible working age people available locally.

"In fact, hospitality has the highest level of job vacancies, the highest level of difficult-to-fill vacancies and the highest level of retention difficulties. We fully support Cumbria Tourism’s strong stance on this critical issue.”