<p><br /> Home Secretary Theresa May insisted business needs will be taken into account as she announced the UK's first immigration cap.<br /> </p><p><br /> Ms May pledged there would be consultation on how best to implement an annual limit on economic migrants from outside the EU.<br /> </p><p><br /> The Home Secretary is to introduce a temporary limit on non-EU arrivals to prevent a "surge" in the run-up to the introduction of a permanent maximum next April.<br /> </p><p><br /> Ms May said: "What we have got in the coalition agreement, is an agreement between both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats that we should have this annual limit - that this is an issue that we need to deal with.<br /> </p><p><br /> "Immigration into the UK has been good for us but uncontrolled immigration is not, so we need to bring in these controls."<br /> </p><p><br /> The immediate restrictions will mean that just 24,100 workers from outside Europe can enter the country before April 2011 - a fall of five per cent on last year.<br /> </p>
