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<p>The Points Based System already provides for a range of roles in the food and drink
sector, including roles such as Butchers, subject to the rules and requirements of
the system being met, including on salary.</p><p>Beyond the Points Based Systems,
employers can recruit those with general work rights including the millions of people
who have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, those who have arrived
via our settlement route for British National (Overseas) normally resident in Hong
Kong and their households, those who have arrived via a family visa and those in the
UK under our Youth Mobility Schemes. They have full access to the UK labour market
and are free to work in the UK and can undertake any role.</p><p>But recognising the
extraordinary circumstances facing businesses currently, Government is providing visas
as a time-limited, temporary measure for the food sector until longer term measures
to improve the supply of skills domestically. start to have an impact. This includes
visas for up to:</p><p>• 4,700 HGV food drivers who will be able to arrive from late
October and leave by 28 February 2022 and;</p><p>• 5,500 poultry workers will arrive
from late October and stay up until 31 December 2021.</p><p>However we must see long-term
solutions delivered by employers through improved testing and hiring, with better
pay and working conditions, as immigration routes do not provide a guarantee of being
able to recruit in a competitive global market for skilled workers.</p>
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