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1023216

registered interest
date	11/12/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Seasonal Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to his Department's paper entitled, Seasonal workers pilot: request for information, published in September 2018.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	201232
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2018 answer text <p>The paper entitled Seasonal workers pilot: request for information (RFI), published in September 2018, laid out the details of the Pilot explained Defra’s expectations of any potential Pilot Operators, and requested information from any organisation seeking to operate the Pilot to enable Defra to assess their suitability. The responses to the RFI were evaluated as part of the Pilot’s competitive selection process and two Pilot Operators were selected. The statement of changes to the Immigration rules laid out on 11 December 2018 names of the selected Pilot Operators.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 17/12/2018 11:00:55 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1023218

registered interest
date	11/12/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Seasonal Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority on the seasonal workers pilot.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	201234
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2018 answer text <p>Defra officials are working closely with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) on the Government’s seasonal workers pilot. The oversight and protection of workers was a central element of the selection process for Pilot Operators. The selected Pilot Operators were first publically announced in the Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules, which was laid on 11 December and is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-1779-11-december-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-1779-11-december-2018</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Officials will continue working closely with the GLAA over the two year operation of the Pilot. A key objective of the pilot is to ensure that migrant workers are adequately protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses. The operators of the scheme will be licensed by the GLAA. They will ensure that all workers are placed with farms who adhere to all relevant legislation, including paying the National Minimum Wage. Farmers will also be vetted to ensure that living and working conditions are of a suitable quality.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 17/12/2018 10:51:04 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1023219

registered interest
date	11/12/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Seasonal Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Seasonal Workers Pilot in the agricultural sector, how much time will be provided to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority to develop a system for worker oversight and protection in the UK and overseas from the point at which Pilot Operators are chosen to the point at which the pilot starts to provide workers to growers and employers in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	201235
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2018 answer text <p>Defra officials are working closely with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) on the Government’s seasonal workers pilot. The oversight and protection of workers was a central element of the selection process for Pilot Operators. The selected Pilot Operators were first publically announced in the Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules, which was laid on 11 December and is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-1779-11-december-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-1779-11-december-2018</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Officials will continue working closely with the GLAA over the two year operation of the Pilot. A key objective of the pilot is to ensure that migrant workers are adequately protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses. The operators of the scheme will be licensed by the GLAA. They will ensure that all workers are placed with farms who adhere to all relevant legislation, including paying the National Minimum Wage. Farmers will also be vetted to ensure that living and working conditions are of a suitable quality.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 17/12/2018 11:06:31 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

969137

registered interest
date	06/09/2018
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Vacancies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the level of labour shortages in the farming sector.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	171414
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2018 answer text <p>Defra continue to monitor the latest data and work closely with industry to understand trends in labour demand and supply.</p><p> </p><p>The Office for National Statistics estimates that around 29,000 people make up the permanent agricultural workforce, with Defra estimating a further 67,000 seasonal workers. Industry sets this figure at 80,000 - the majority of which are EU migrant workers.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s best estimate of seasonal labour shortages, using both Defra’s June agricultural survey and the National Farming Union’s survey of labour providers, is that in June 2016 there was a shortfall of 3,231 seasonal workers, and in June 2017; a shortfall of 7,676.</p><p> </p><p>A new pilot scheme in 2019 will enable non-EEA migrant workers to come to the UK to undertake seasonal employment in the horticultural sector.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 11/09/2018 12:00:38 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

806505

registered interest
date	14/12/2017
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Ritual Slaughter: Animal Welfare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his policy on recognising animals as sentient beings encroaches on the rights of religious minorities to slaughter animals in accordance with Muslim and Jewish faith traditions.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	119581
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2017 answer text <p>The Government’s policies on animal welfare have always been driven by the fact the animals are sentient beings. The draft Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill published on 12 December 2017 for consultation gives absolute clarity to that commitment. The draft bill does not affect the right of Jewish and Muslim communities to eat meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with religious rites. There are strict rules that govern the slaughter of animals in England and additional rules which apply to animals slaughtered in accordance with religious rites.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 20/12/2017 16:38:26 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan