He said he hoped common sense would now prevail so that students could come into the UK to study English with a lower level in the language, equivalent to having studied it for 150 to 200 hours.

BBC: English language schools win court battle over visas

We're making sure that anyone studying a degree-level course has a proper grasp of the English language.

BBC: In full: David Cameron immigration speech

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said new tests would be brought in to ensure that healthcare workers from other EU countries can speak English to a satisfactory level, an issue which is complicated by rules which prevent systemic language testing.

BBC: The Record: Europe