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1625882

registered interest
date	05/05/2023
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: Migrant 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 assessment her Department has made of the living and working conditions of migrant farm workers.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	183940
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office sponsor licence regime places a broad range of responsibilities on the operators of the Seasonal Workers visa route to safeguard migrant workers under the scheme, including protecting their rights and ensuring effective enforcement of UK employment laws.</p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps these protections under close and ongoing review. A new team within the Home Office compliance network focuses on ensuring sponsors are abiding by workers’ rights by improving training and processes for compliance inspectors and creating clear policies and guidance for robust action for scheme operators where workers are at risk of exploitation. Should any of the selected operators fall short in these duties action will be taken, up to and including the revocation of their sponsor licence.</p><p>The Home Office and Defra maintain regular contact with scheme operators to ensure that they adhere to the stringent requirements set for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the seasonal workers. All Seasonal Worker visa route operators are also required to hold a Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) licence, as a condition of maintaining their role as a scheme operator. The responsibilities and remit of the GLAA are set out on their website.</p><p>Defra continues to speak regularly with the agricultural sector including on matters relating to the welfare of seasonal workers. Defra also conducts an annual survey of workers, providing them with a route to provide direct feedback to us on their experience while working here including their living and working conditions. In addition, Defra officials engage with the industry and non-profit organisation led Seasonal Worker Taskforce, which focuses on practical actions to improve the responsible recruitment and employment of migrant workers into UK farms.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 183941 question first answered 15/05/2023 09:03:29 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1625883

registered interest
date	05/05/2023
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: Migrant 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 her Department has held with agricultural producers on the living and working conditions of migrant farm workers who live on-site.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	183941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office sponsor licence regime places a broad range of responsibilities on the operators of the Seasonal Workers visa route to safeguard migrant workers under the scheme, including protecting their rights and ensuring effective enforcement of UK employment laws.</p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps these protections under close and ongoing review. A new team within the Home Office compliance network focuses on ensuring sponsors are abiding by workers’ rights by improving training and processes for compliance inspectors and creating clear policies and guidance for robust action for scheme operators where workers are at risk of exploitation. Should any of the selected operators fall short in these duties action will be taken, up to and including the revocation of their sponsor licence.</p><p>The Home Office and Defra maintain regular contact with scheme operators to ensure that they adhere to the stringent requirements set for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the seasonal workers. All Seasonal Worker visa route operators are also required to hold a Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) licence, as a condition of maintaining their role as a scheme operator. The responsibilities and remit of the GLAA are set out on their website.</p><p>Defra continues to speak regularly with the agricultural sector including on matters relating to the welfare of seasonal workers. Defra also conducts an annual survey of workers, providing them with a route to provide direct feedback to us on their experience while working here including their living and working conditions. In addition, Defra officials engage with the industry and non-profit organisation led Seasonal Worker Taskforce, which focuses on practical actions to improve the responsible recruitment and employment of migrant workers into UK farms.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 183940 question first answered 15/05/2023 09:03:29 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1195589

registered interest
date	13/05/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Agriculture: Migrant Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it is his policy that workers from Romania brought to the UK by the Government to work in food production will be guaranteed the minimum wage.
tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
uin	46661
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to fair pay by ensuring workers are paid at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW).</p><p> </p><p>Migrant workers who work in the UK are entitled to the NMW rate relevant to their age. Anyone concerned about underpayment of the NMW should call <a href="https://www.theyworkforyou.com/glossary/?gl=76" target="_blank">Acas</a>’s confidential helpline on 0300 123 1100 or visit <a href="http://www.acas.org.uk/nmw" target="_blank">http://www.acas.org.uk/nmw</a>. HMRC will look into every complaint it receives.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 21/05/2020 14:45:43 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1180179

registered interest
date	24/02/2020
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: Migrant 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 estimate he has made of the number of (a) EU and (b) overseas nationals employed as (i) semi-skilled and (ii) unskilled workers in agriculture.
tabling member constituency	North Thanet
tabling member printed	Sir Roger Gale
uin	19730
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The information requested at this level of detail is not held by Defra. However, we can provide information taken from the ONS Annual Population Survey which shows the number of EU/EEA nationals working permanently in the agricultural sector for the whole of the UK. These figures will not include seasonal workers living in communal or temporary accommodation and do not show a distinction between semi-skilled and unskilled workers in agriculture.</p><p> </p><p>The ONS Annual Population Survey showed that the number of EEA nationals working permanently in UK agriculture in 2019 was approximately 18,000.</p><p> </p><p>Further ONS data suggests that meat processing (48%), fish processing (46%), fruit and veg processing (35%) and the manufacture of other food products (27%) had high proportions of non-UK EU nationals in their workforce in 2019.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 02/03/2020 12:38:29 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	87 label Biography information for Sir Roger Gale

1180182

registered interest
date	24/02/2020
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: Migrant 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 estimate he has made of the additional costs incurred by the (a) agricultural and (b) horticultural sectors as a result of the proposed immigration controls on (i) semi-skilled and (ii) unskilled workers.
tabling member constituency	North Thanet
tabling member printed	Sir Roger Gale
uin	19733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The information requested at this level of detail on employment numbers is not held by Defra. Defra is considering the latest data and working closely with industry to understand labour demand and supply, including both permanent and seasonal workforce requirements.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested on estimates of additional costs incurred as a result of the new points-based immigration system is not held by Defra.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 19732 question first answered 02/03/2020 12:44:38 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	87 label Biography information for Sir Roger Gale

1137061

registered interest
date	04/07/2019
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Agriculture: Migrant Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to encourage EU nationals working in the agricultural and food production sectors to remain in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	273321
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the valuable contribution which EU citizens make to the UK. The EU Settlement Scheme, which enables them to obtain the UK immigration status they need to remain here permanently after we leave the European Union, opened fully on 30 March 2019. By 10 June 2019, more than 800,000 applications had been received under the scheme and almost 700,000 people had been granted status.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 09/07/2019 11:14:26 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1000294

registered interest
date	02/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Agriculture: Migrant Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure access by non-UK non-seasonal workers to the agri-food sector after UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
tabling member printed	Angus Brendan MacNeil
uin	187312
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2019 answer text <p>I refer the Honourable Member to the response that I gave to a question from the Honourable Member for Darlington on 22 October (180695).</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 06/02/2019 15:16:03 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	1546 label Biography information for Angus Brendan MacNeil

997820

registered interest
date	30/10/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Agriculture: Migrant Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what agri-food related occupations will be eligible under the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendations to expand Tier 2 migrant access after the UK has left the EU.
tabling member constituency	Belfast North
tabling member printed	Nigel Dodds
uin	185539
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government recognises the valuable contribution that overseas workers make to the UK economy and to our society. We are currently developing options for the future system which will be designed to work in the national interest.</p><p>On the 18 September, the Migration Advisory Committee published their final report on the current patterns of EEA migration into the UK. We are carefully considering their fourteen recommendations. We plan to publish a White Paper setting out more detail on the future arrangements later in the Autumn.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 07/11/2018 14:44:31 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

992799

registered interest
date	22/10/2018
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: Migrant 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 discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the development of the UK’s immigration policy after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	182165
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2018 answer text <p>It is a key priority of this Government to enable an innovative, productive and competitive food supply chain, which invests in its people and skills. To help achieve this, we will ensure that there is access to enough appropriately skilled labour to drive continued industry growth and productivity.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the UK prepares to leave the EU, Defra is working closely with the Home Office to ensure that the food and farming sector has access to the workforce it needs as part of the future immigration policy.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office and Defra recently jointly announced a pilot scheme to bring seasonal migrant workers to UK farms.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 26/10/2018 12:02:14 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

992800

registered interest
date	22/10/2018
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: Migrant 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 steps his Department is taking to ensure the maintenance of the UK’s (a) meat processing sector and (b) other agriculture industries in the Government's immigration policies after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	182166
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2018 answer text <p>Defra is working closely with the Home Office to ensure that the food and farming sector, including meat processing, has access to the workforce it needs, as part of the future immigration policy.</p><p> </p><p>After we leave the EU, we must have an immigration system which works in the best interests of the UK; controlling immigration whilst continuing to welcome those who make a contribution.</p><p> </p><p>A White Paper on the future border and immigration system is expected to be published in the autumn.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 182168 182172 question first answered 30/10/2018 17:45:39 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson