Business Secretary Vince Cable said Britain’s government is listening to the complaints of business about its proposed immigration cap, which companies say is preventing them from bringing in staff they need.

“The message has been heard loud and clear,” Cable said in an interview at the Confederation of British Industry’s annual conference in London. Cable said Prime Minister David Cameron had demonstrated that, when he told the conference yesterday that “as we control our borders and bring immigration to a manageable level, we will not impede you from attracting the best talent from around the world.”

Cable said last month that the temporary cap, in place until the government implements a permanent measure, was “very damaging” to the British economy. CBI Director-General Richard Lambert backed him, saying it was “causing some really big companies some significant pain.”

“Executives have to come and go. That has to be done in the framework of an overall cap on immigration,” Cable said. He refused to characterize it as a victory for his department. “It’s not winning or losing, it’s reconciling two different things.”