Hands up who though Cameron would cut ICTs?

[Sysman]

This is another thing that has puzzled me. The risk assessment as part of the due diligence prior to outsourcing such vital functions to that part of the world surely must have flagged the instability internally and in the region as a major issue. However, risk / reward judgements have been a bit off in the business world of late (some say for a long time).

There does seem to be a "House prices never fall" mentality at work here.

[Sysman]

It's the Quid Pro Quo that is the problem.

For all the opening up of their markets, the Indians will demand that there will be no constraints on ours.

From the Telegraph article

India's infrastructure is famously creaky, but the main barrier is bureaucratic. Numerous sectors in India are still restricted to foreign operators, particularly the banking, insurance, retail and legal services industries.

"There are huge frustrations for UK companies", says Gomes, "particularly since the UK has no restrictions in return. This features in any ministerial meeting," he says.

[HairyArsedBloke]

ICTs are not covered in the interim cap but the home office survey has a question asking if they should be:
UK Border Agency | Limits on non-EU economic migration (June to September 2010)

It can't hurt to fill it in and the government might be compelled to do something if there is an overwhelming call for ICTs to be capped.

Not on your nelly!

From the consultation document:

Secondly, the UK has obligations under international agreements concerned with trade
which place an obligation upon it to admit intra–company transferees. The UK is party to the World
Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) which requires it to provide
access to managers and specialist staff who are nationals of a another party to the agreement,
who are employed by a business established in the territory of that party, and who are posted to
the UK branch of that business. Bilateral trade agreements concluded between the European
Union and a number of other countries contain similar commitments.
While these agreements do not prevent the UK applying Tier 2 criteria to such movements they do
not provide for the imposition of a numerical limit upon them and the UK would be in breach of its
obligations if it imposed such limits.

The weight to be attached to the latter consideration needs to take account of the
UK’s national interest as an exporter of services and inward investors overseas. The UK has a
strong interest in ensuring that other countries provide equivalent access to the personnel of UK
businesses who are posted to branches of those businesses overseas. The UK’s ability to negotiate
agreements guaranteeing such access would be undermined if it restricted such access domestically.

They will hide behind that and leave UK workers to suffer with any form of help.

[ArgieBee]

The trade commitments are for intra corporate transfers for senior managers who report to the board and specialists with uncommon knowledge essential to the establishment.