Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring all recruiting agencies in the care sector to register with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority in order to obtain a licence to operate.

The Government takes reports of illegal and unsafe employment practices, including in the social care sector, incredibly seriously. Enforcement bodies, including the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, will take full and robust enforcement action in such cases.

The direction for the three labour market enforcement bodies is set out by the Director of Labour Market Enforcement in her annual strategy. The strategy includes an assessment of the highest risk sectors, which enables the enforcement bodies to target their activity in areas of greatest concern. The Government is guided by the annual strategy and considers appropriate policy interventions for sectors identified at highest risk, such as expanding the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority’s licensing scheme to the care sector and will keep this under review. It is imperative that we have a strong evidence base in considering policies that will best protect vulnerable workers and drive-up standards. The Director of Labour Market Enforcement will continue to monitor sectors at risk.

Furthermore, the 2019 manifesto included a commitment for the Government to continue its campaigns to eradicate the scourge of modern slavery. We will continue our leadership in tackling modern slavery including labour exploitation.