LONDON (Reuters) – The number of non-EU skilled workers coming to Britain should be slashed by up to a quarter next year, a body set up to recommend a ceiling for the government's proposed immigration cap said.

The Migration Advisory Committee, charged with setting limits for skilled migrants under a new points-based system, said the number of approved visas had to fall between 13 and 25 percent to hit targets. That is equivalent to between 37,400 and 43,700 working visas, compared with the 50,000 issued in 2009. It said the reductions are the first step in fulfilling the coalition government's pledge to bring down net migration.

Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to reduce overall inflows from 196,000 last year to "the tens of thousands" by 2015, the life of the current parliament. Chairman of the advisory group, Professor David Metcalf, said the limits were tougher than a temporary cap introduced in the late summer to stop a surge of applications ahead of an agreed permanent cap in April 2011.

"Our proposed cap is more severe, more stringent," than the temporary cap, he told reporters.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said the government would announce its decision on the recommendations in due course and that steps were being taken to ensure the cap did not damage the economy. In a concession to industry, intra-company transfers are already exempted from the planned cap, though big business and education chiefs have said the limit could lead to a brain drain.