debacle has compounded the problem. As things stand most students are attracted to the States, and increasingly Canada, which is rapidly catching up with the UK. A UKTI representative at the conference said with breath-taking insouciance that his experience was that the UK education brand was alive and kicking and the Visa issue would not have any lasting effect. Nobody agreed.  Mr Lazarus who was speaking at the conference said that no Cabinet Minister agreed with Theresa Mays stand and even she had doubts but was intent on sticking to a manifesto commitment to reduce net migration. Speakers were incredibly frustrated about the damage being done to UK plc  Theresa May has squeezed migrant workers and students -- the very people who are most likely to boost Britain's economy, as well as the most likely to leave soon. Having committed themselves to a reduction in net migration -- immigration minus emigration -- to below 100,000 a year by 2015-the government is in a bind, with little or no room for manoeuvre in restricting EU immigration and asylum seekers the government is targeting students. The number of study visas handed out has plunged by 21% in a year. The government has made it harder to move from study to work, which in turn will deter foreign students from applying.  So in short International education, one of the country's most important export industries and an area where Britain should have a huge competitive advantage, is being starved. The Government says that that