Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will meet with the Seasonal Worker Interest Group to discuss worker welfare on the Seasonal Worker visa.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Home Office, in collaboration with Defra, is arranging a meeting on seasonal worker welfare issues hosted by the Minister for Farming, Daniel Zeichner, and the Minister for Migration, Seema Malhotra MP, later this month. Invitations have been sent to the Seasonal Worker Interest Group, and other interested parties, for this event, which will provide an opportunity to discuss these matters further.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the regulation of tied-accommodation for seasonal agricultural workers.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra, Home Office, and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Ministers and their Officials regularly engage regarding a range of issues, including accommodation standards for seasonal workers.

The Government will work collaboratively on this issue, across the relevant departments, to improve the rights and protections for seasonal workers. We are exploring approaches at the national and local authority level and through engagement with the sector itself.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many HMRC inspections of farms employing workers on the Seasonal Worker visa were conducted in each of the last five years.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector, are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff.

HMRC continue to crack down on employers who ignore the law, ensuring workers receive the wages to which they are entitled.

HMRC continue to undertake compliance activity within the agriculture sector across the UK. However, we do not hold specific data on how many of our interventions in this sector employ seasonal workers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister’s speech entitled, Prime Minister’s remarks from the plenary session at the first UK-Ireland Summit: 6 March 2025, what steps the Government is taking to work more closely with the EU to (a) boost trade, (b) create jobs and (c) increase economic growth.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government is committed to improving the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU, by tearing down unnecessary barriers to trade. The Prime Minister and President von der Leyen agreed to identify areas where we can strengthen cooperation for mutual benefit, such as the economy, energy, security and resilience. Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and I are taking this forward ahead of the first UK-EU summit in London on 19 May. The first UK-Ireland Summit saw the announcement of £185.5 million in new Irish investments, and creating 2540 jobs across the country.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority inspectors were operational in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) can deploy their officers to any part of the country when there is capacity and a need to do so. The GLAA have employed the following number of compliance officers and enforcement officers over the last five years:

2020 - 13 Compliance Officers, 38 Enforcement Officers

2021 - 13 Compliance Officers, 43 Enforcement Officers

2022 - 14 Compliance Officers, 40 Enforcement Officers

2023 - 13 Compliance Officers, 39 Enforcement Officers

2024 - 13 Compliance Officers, 35 Enforcement Officers

2025 - 13 Compliance Officers, 34 Enforcement Officers

The GLAA does not hold the specific data requested on the number of farms they have inspected that employ workers on a Seasonal Worker visa.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority inspections on farms employing workers on the Seasonal Worker visa were carried out in each of the last five years in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, and (d) Northern Ireland.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) can deploy their officers to any part of the country when there is capacity and a need to do so. The GLAA have employed the following number of compliance officers and enforcement officers over the last five years:

2020 - 13 Compliance Officers, 38 Enforcement Officers

2021 - 13 Compliance Officers, 43 Enforcement Officers

2022 - 14 Compliance Officers, 40 Enforcement Officers

2023 - 13 Compliance Officers, 39 Enforcement Officers

2024 - 13 Compliance Officers, 35 Enforcement Officers

2025 - 13 Compliance Officers, 34 Enforcement Officers

The GLAA does not hold the specific data requested on the number of farms they have inspected that employ workers on a Seasonal Worker visa.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Health and Safety Executive have taken to prevent health and safety hazards on farms employing workers on the Seasonal Worker visa in each of the last five years in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, this includes workplace health and safety risks created in agriculture.

Over the last 5 years, HSE has taken the following steps to address on-farm health and safety hazards and improve the health and safety performance of the industry for the benefit of all farm workers in Scotland, England and Wales, including seasonal workers, by:

• Working closely with the industry through Britain’s Farm Safety Partnerships (FSPs). Together, HSE and the FSPs use a range of interventions to encourage the industry to take a greater ownership of the health and safety risks that it creates, and work to create sustained improvement from within the industry.
• Between 2018 and 2024, in partnership with the industry, HSE ran a campaign to offer farmers free health and safety training which was then followed up by an inspection to a selection of the farms invited to take the training.
• Although HSE has no pre-planned inspections in agriculture in 2024/25, HSE continues to inspect where they receive intelligence to suggest risk is not being managed and investigate incidents in line with its selection criteria.
• Over the last 5 years HSE has also engaged with the industry through a variety of other methods including industry talks, webinars, presentations, campaigns, media engagement, and producing industry notifications which include safety messaging.
• HSE’s recent agricultural media campaign “Your Farm Your Future” was a successful example of using HSE and industry voices to reinforce safety messages and reach a wide range of farmers and farm workers. Campaign materials can be found at: https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/agriculture/.
• In addition, HSE also publishes guidance for farmers on how to prevent workplace ill health and injury to their workforce, including seasonal workers. The guidance is freely available on the HSE website at https://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm.

HSE remains committed to working with the farming industry to help improve health and safety performance for the benefit of all its workers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC have taken to ensure farms employing workers on the Seasonal Worker visa are being paid the National Living Wage in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector, are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff.

HMRC continue to crack down on employers who ignore the law, ensuring workers receive the wages to which they are entitled.

HMRC continue to undertake compliance activity within the agriculture sector across the UK. However, we do not hold specific data on how many of our interventions in this sector employ seasonal workers.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will meet with representatives from the Worker Support Centre to discuss reports of alleged non-payment of wages for workers on the Seasonal Worker Visa.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We appreciate the valuable work the Worker Support Centre (WSC) does in supporting workers.

The Department acknowledges the challenges for seasonal workers published in the WSC’s Annual report.

I have asked officials to ensure that the WSC are given the opportunity to input their expertise as we move forward with the implementation of the Fair Work Agency.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will meet with representatives from the Worker Support Centre to discuss their 2024 Annual Report, published on 14 February 2025.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We appreciate the valuable work the Worker Support Centre (WSC) does in supporting workers.

The Department acknowledges the challenges for seasonal workers published in the WSC’s Annual report.

I have asked officials to ensure that the WSC are given the opportunity to input their expertise as we move forward with the implementation of the Fair Work Agency.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK Visas and Immigration Compliance Unit inspections were carried out in each of the last three years in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, and (d) Northern Ireland.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of the Seasonal Worker visa scheme on recent trends in the level of worker exploitation.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the Seasonal Worker route under close and ongoing review, including the welfare of participating workers. The Government has noted the contents of the Worker Support Centre Annual Review 2024 and will give due consideration to the issues raised when reviewing the Seasonal Worker route.

A key objective of the route is to ensure that overseas workers are protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses. The sponsor licence regime places a broad range of responsibilities on Scheme Operators to ensure that the rights of migrant workers are protected.

Ministers will continue to engage with a range of interested parties on these issues, including the Seasonal Worker Interest Group.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to formally respond to the Worker Support Centre Annual Report 2024, published on 14 February 2025.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the Seasonal Worker route under close and ongoing review, including the welfare of participating workers. The Government has noted the contents of the Worker Support Centre Annual Review 2024 and will give due consideration to the issues raised when reviewing the Seasonal Worker route.

A key objective of the route is to ensure that overseas workers are protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses. The sponsor licence regime places a broad range of responsibilities on Scheme Operators to ensure that the rights of migrant workers are protected.

Ministers will continue to engage with a range of interested parties on these issues, including the Seasonal Worker Interest Group.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will have discussions with the Seasonal Worker Interest Group on the welfare of workers on seasonal worker visas.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the Seasonal Worker route under close and ongoing review, including the welfare of participating workers. The Government has noted the contents of the Worker Support Centre Annual Review 2024 and will give due consideration to the issues raised when reviewing the Seasonal Worker route.

A key objective of the route is to ensure that overseas workers are protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses. The sponsor licence regime places a broad range of responsibilities on Scheme Operators to ensure that the rights of migrant workers are protected.

Ministers will continue to engage with a range of interested parties on these issues, including the Seasonal Worker Interest Group.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37200 on Agriculture: Seasonal Workers, whether HMRC has made an assessment of the potential impact of productivity related pay on (a) hourly wage calculations and (b) payslips for seasonal agricultural workers.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

When HMRC undertake compliance activity, evidence is gathered to determine the hourly rates of pay. We do not hold specific data on seasonal workers from our compliance activity.

HMRC continues to crack down on employers who ignore the law, ensuring workers receive the wages to which they are entitled.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37199 on Agriculture: Seasonal Workers, how many complaints were received by HMRC for seasonal agricultural workers in each of the last five years.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector, are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff.

HMRC continue to crack down on employers who ignore the law, ensuring workers receive the wages to which they are entitled.

HMRC continues to undertake compliance activity within the agriculture sector across the UK. However, we do not hold specific data on how many complaints we receive relating to seasonal agricultural workers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 37202 on Seasonal workers: Agriculture, how many Health and Safety Executive inspection officials are based in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As the table below shows, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) currently employs 897 full time equivalent (FTE) inspector staff in all grades and roles including trainees, managers and specialists with warrants. There are currently 663 FTE Band 3 and 4 inspectors who undertake the delivery of the operational division workplans. This includes inspections and investigations into reported incidents and concerns and where non-compliance with health and safety legislations is identified, the inspectors take regulatory action in accordance with HSE’s published Enforcement Policy Statement.

Although HSE staff work across England, Scotland and Wales, these figures are based on the office location where the staff are employed.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37203 on Seasonal workers: Agriculture, how many Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations reports were received by the Health and Safety Executive for (a) agricultural and (b) seasonal agricultural workers in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not require dutyholders submitting reports under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) to specify that the report relates to “seasonal agricultural workers”. Therefore, HSE does not hold specific data on the number of RIDDOR reports submitted for “seasonal agricultural workers” in each of the last five years.

HSE does collect RIDDOR reports on injuries and diseases to agricultural workers. The two tables below show the total number of RIDDOR reports received for “agricultural workers” from 1 April to 31 March over the last 5 years.

Table 1 - Reports of injuries*

*Table 1 - Injury outcomes include fatal, specified injuries, and over-7-day injuries.

Table 2 - Reports of occupational diseases, exposures to biological agents, and occupational cancers*

*Table 2 - Reports of specific occupational diseases, includes those caused by an occupational exposure to a biological agent; and cases of occupational cancer.

Notes on the two tables:

1. These figures for ‘Agricultural workers’ are defined using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 01 – ‘Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities’, this information is selected by the notifier during the reporting process.
2. Reports marked ‘non-reportable’ in the database, are those determined by HSE operational teams as either not meeting the reporting scope of RIDDOR, or reported as a duplicate. These figures are as-reported, no adjustments are made for under-reporting.
3. Data in Tables 1 and 2 is based on RIDDOR reports as notified to HSE. HSE also publish as official statistics numbers of RIDDOR reported injuries. These official statistics have undergone further data quality checks and differ in scope and coverage to numbers in Tables 1 and 2. For more details of official statistics on RIDDOR reported injuries, see www.hse.gov.uk/statistics

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37194 on Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority: Inspections, how many complaints were received by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

'Complaints' is taken to mean referrals received by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) about labour abuses, mistreatment of workers, labour providers operating without a licence or a business using an unlicensed gangmaster.

The GLAA reports the number of referrals received in each of the GLAA's regions, over the last 5 years, as:

'Regions' denote the regions of England. However, 'North West' includes reporting related to Scotland and Northern Ireland; 'North West' includes reporting related to North Wales; and 'South West' includes reporting related to South Wales and Dyfed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK Visas and Immigration Compliance Unit inspections were carried out in 2024 in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The information requested is not available from published statistics and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37197 on Visas: Seasonal Workers, what steps she is taking to facilitate Scheme Operators in enforcing welfare on farms.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

UKVI Seasonal Agricultural Worker Officers visit farms, interviewing both workers and farm managers to ensure that worker welfare, accommodation standards, as well as pay and conditions meet the requirements of the route.

Regular bi-monthly meetings are held with the licensed sponsors to ensure any complaints raised or issues identified are addressed as soon as possible.

Should systemic issues relating to worker welfare be identified that are not acted upon, UKVI will consider taking punitive action against the associated provider, up to and including the revocation of their licence.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered suspending the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

We believe that having strong diplomatic and economic relationships with partners allows us to have frank discussions on important issues. The UK Government continues to work with our allies and partners, including across the region, to find a path towards permanent peace.

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Independent advisory panel on Department for Work and Pensions-related deaths

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Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

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Tackling the climate and nature crisis

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