Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2023 to Question 165227 on Agriculture: Seasonal Workers, whether the guarantee of a minimum of 32 hours of work every week from 1 April 2023 for people on the seasonal worker visa scheme will mean that workers must be paid for at least 32 hours work each week regardless of their pay period or if the 32 hours per week can be averaged over the worker’s pay period.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
A key objective of the route is to ensure that migrant workers are protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses.
The Home Office has made ongoing enhancements to the route over the lifetime of its operation, most recently adding a mandatory minimum hours pay requirement to the Immigration Rules, ensuring that all workers will receive a guaranteed 32 hours of paid employment per week.
Where a worker is paid on a weekly basis, they must receive pay for 32 hours of work. Where workers are paid over a longer period, for example on a fortnightly or monthly basis, some reasonable averaging is permitted. We monitor this closely and workers must not be required to work excessive hours at the end of their pay period in order to achieve the 32 hour average.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to the email of 31 January 2023 from the hon. Member for Rochdale relating to accident and emergency departments.
Answered by Will Quince
I replied to the hon. Member on 29 March 2023.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to ensure that self employed people are able to access cost of living payments.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Self-employed people on a low income could be eligible for cost of living payments of up to £900 if they are entitled to a means-tested benefit, such as Universal Credit, in the relevant qualifying period. To qualify for the first payment of £301 an individual would need to have been entitled to a payment of either Universal Credit for an assessment period ending between 26 January and 25 February 2023 a payment of another DWP means-tested benefit for any day between 26 January and 25 February 2023; or have received (or later be found to have been entitled to) a payment of tax credits for any day in the same period. As with the first payment, the qualifying dates for the second and third payments of £300 and £299 will be set out in secondary legislation and announced once these regulations have been made.
We have kept the eligibility rules for the cost of living payments as simple as possible in order to deliver them promptly and accurately. Whatever eligibility dates are selected there will be always be some individuals who are ineligible in the qualifying period – whether that is due for example to their earnings, capital or other income, or for a combination of reasons. Our decision to make three separate payments over 2023/24 will however reduce the chance of someone missing out altogether.
To help households with the costs of essentials, including those who may not be eligible for cost of living payments, we are also extending the Household Support Fund in England. The Devolved Administrations will receive Barnett funding to spend at their discretion and with their local knowledge.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the ability of self employed people to access cost of living payments.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Self-employed people on a low income could be eligible for cost of living payments of up to £900 if they are entitled to a means-tested benefit, such as Universal Credit, in the relevant qualifying period. To qualify for the first payment of £301 an individual would need to have been entitled to a payment of either Universal Credit for an assessment period ending between 26 January and 25 February 2023 a payment of another DWP means-tested benefit for any day between 26 January and 25 February 2023; or have received (or later be found to have been entitled to) a payment of tax credits for any day in the same period. As with the first payment, the qualifying dates for the second and third payments of £300 and £299 will be set out in secondary legislation and announced once these regulations have been made.
We have kept the eligibility rules for the cost of living payments as simple as possible in order to deliver them promptly and accurately. Whatever eligibility dates are selected there will be always be some individuals who are ineligible in the qualifying period – whether that is due for example to their earnings, capital or other income, or for a combination of reasons. Our decision to make three separate payments over 2023/24 will however reduce the chance of someone missing out altogether.
To help households with the costs of essentials, including those who may not be eligible for cost of living payments, we are also extending the Household Support Fund in England. The Devolved Administrations will receive Barnett funding to spend at their discretion and with their local knowledge.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to help ensure that seasonal migrant workers do not suffer financial losses as a result of participating in the seasonal workers scheme.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
A key objective of the route is to ensure that migrant workers are protected against modern slavery and other labour abuses.
The Home Office has made ongoing enhancements to the route over the lifetime of its operation, most recently adding a mandatory minimum hours pay requirement to the Immigration Rules, ensuring that all workers will receive a guaranteed 32 hours of paid employment per week.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with Interpol on the membership status of Belarus.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Government has a regular and ongoing dialogue with INTERPOL on a range of matters.
The UK is an active participant in INTERPOL’s Governance Working Group, which discusses all aspects of INTERPOL’s Constitution, including membership.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the temporary ban on prepayment installations ending before Ofgem’s Market Compliance Review into prepayment meter policies and practices has concluded.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All suppliers have agreed to cease the forced installation of prepayment meters (PPMS) until 31 March 2023, but has now been indefinitely extended whilst Ofgem and industry agree and implement a code of practice to improve consumer safeguards. Ofgem has begun an intensive consultation process to look at what further protections may be needed around PPMs.
As announced in the Spring budget, the Government will remove the premium paid by households using prepayment meters by bringing their charges in line with comparable direct debit customers until the Energy Price Guarantee ends.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure energy suppliers remove prepayment meters for customers who are (a) vulnerable and (b) at risk of prolonged disconnection.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All suppliers have agreed to cease the forced installation of prepayment meters and the remote switching of smart meters to prepayment mode, except in clear instances of energy theft. This pause was due to end on 31 March 2023, but has now been indefinitely extended whilst Ofgem and industry agree and implement a code of practice to improve consumer safeguards.
As announced in the Spring budget, the Government will remove the premium paid by households using prepayment meters by bringing their charges in line with comparable direct debit customers until the Energy Price Guarantee ends.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the guarantee of a minimum of 32 hours of work every week for people on the seasonal worker visa scheme will be measured (a) on a weekly basis and (b) over a longer period of time; and what steps her Department will take to (i) monitor and (ii) enforce this guarantee.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Sponsors and employers will need to ensure workers on the Seasonal Workers visa route are paid a minimum of 32 hours per week. This must be reflected in payslips covering the pay period for each worker.
A team within the Home Office compliance network will focus specifically on the agricultural sector and ensure sponsors are adhering to guidance and fulfilling their sponsorship responsibilities.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to update the list of named sponsors on the notice entitled Seasonal worker visa route RFI notice, published by her Department on 27 June 2022.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Current operators of the Seasonal Workers visa route are listed in the register of licensed sponsors: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers.
We will we updating the RFI Notice webpage in the next few months.