Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of legally requiring care sector recruitment agencies to demonstrate that they are not charging recruitment fees as a pre-condition for obtaining their licence to operate.
The Employment Agencies Act 1973 and its associated Conduct Regulations apply to all recruitment agencies operating in Great Britain and are enforced by the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate. This state-enforced framework prohibits recruitment agencies operating in Great Britain from charging work-finding fees, so any agency in the care sector in Great Britain that charges work-finding fees is acting illegally. EAS investigates all relevant complaints. It takes a compliance-based approach initially to support businesses to correct breaches but does undertake robust enforcement action where necessary.