Recommendations & Conclusions
12 items
1
Recommendation
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
In order to secure the labour it requires to maintain production levels under the new immigration policy, the food supply chain will have to attract more resident staff. Although it must be recognised there are significant structural barriers preventing many domestic workers from substantial engagement in seasonal harvest work and …
Government response. 1.1. The Government agrees with the committee that there is a need to carefully monitor the impact of changes on food supply chain workforces. The aim to mobilise and strengthen the domestic recruitment pipeline across the sectors brings with it …
2
Recommendation
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
The UK is competing globally for skilled labour, the availability of which is vital to the ongoing success of the UK food supply chain. It is important therefore that bureaucracy and fees are minimised, and their impact kept under review. We are concerned that many potential candidates from EEA countries …
Government response. 1 https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021–03–04/hcws822 First Special Report of Session 2021–22 3 3.1. When outlining the purpose of the UK points-based immigration system, the our domestic work force, rather than relying on labour from abroad. At the same time, we want to make …
3
Conclusion
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
The example of the veterinarian sector highlights the important role that overseas- trained employees undertake in the food supply chain, in this case working in abattoirs that are unattractive to UK-trained vets. In addition, these Official Veterinarians face an increase in their workload due to increased checks on exports 32 …
Government response. 3.1. When outlining the purpose of the UK points-based immigration system, the Government was clear that we wanted employers to focus on training and investing in our domestic work force, rather than relying on labour from abroad. At the same …
4
Conclusion
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
For those employing skilled workers, it is important to ensure that pay and conditions reflect the nature of the work in order to help attract more UK workers into the food supply chain. For example, the Government’s work to increase the number of Official Veterinarians and introduce Certification Support Officers …
Government response. 4.1. The Government agrees with the need for employers to ensure pay, working conditions, and training within the food supply chain are attractive to domestic workers. the short term, and Defra’s strategic aim to strengthen the long-term domestic recruitment pipeline …
5
Conclusion
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
By focusing on academic qualifications, the new immigration policy takes a narrow focus on skills, although we welcome the Government’s decision to reduce the threshold to the equivalent of A-levels or Scottish Highers (RQF3/SCQF6). We are concerned that this policy will pose challenges for food manufacturers and others in the …
Government response. 5.1. In addition to strengthening domestic recruitment pipelines, and supporting the creation of new skills development programmes aimed at UK workers, the Government agrees with the committee that we must also carefully monitor the overall impact of changes to the …
6
Recommendation
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
Food supply chain businesses should seek to attract the unemployed who may previously have worked in other sectors of the UK economy through better pay and conditions and offering training opportunities. The Government should also play a role in supporting the retraining of labour through engagement with employers and unions, …
Government response. 6.1. As the Government stated in our original submission to this enquiry, producing a single aggregate number for seasonal labourers in the UK is challenging. The varied and temporary nature of seasonal roles, the culture of workers moving between multiple …
7
Conclusion
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
The lack of a transition period for the introduction of the new immigration policy creates risks and therefore Defra, the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions must work together to closely monitor the food supply chain to monitor the impact of the absence of a low skilled …
Government response. 7.1. On the 22 December 2020, Defra announced that the Seasonal Workers Pilot would be extended and expanded for an additional year in 2021, with 30,000 visas available for those wanting to come and work on UK farms for a …
8
Conclusion
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
It is a matter of concern that there continues to be no single, agreed figure for the aggregate number and the breakdown by nationality of seasonal agricultural workers, given the importance of this data for the formulation of policy. The Government, employers and representative bodies must work together to develop …
Government response. 6 First Special Report of Session 2021–22 8.1. The Government is grateful to the committee for highlighting the importance of technology and automation for the future of the agri-food sectors, and acknowledge the financial and logistical challenges that small businesses …
9
Conclusion
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
While we commend Defra for standing up the Pick for Britain scheme so quickly and for promoting it successfully, this cannot hide the fact that it did not achieve what it hoped to do: attract a significant number of British works to pick crops. Given the favourable conditions in which …
Government response. 6.1. As the Government stated in our original submission to this enquiry, producing a single aggregate number for seasonal labourers in the UK is challenging. The varied and temporary nature of seasonal roles, the culture of workers moving between multiple …
10
Conclusion
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
We therefore recommend that the Seasonal Workers Pilot for 2021 should be expanded to include other food supply chain and agricultural sectors beyond edible horticulture, and have a sufficiently generous cap that allows all businesses to recruit the labour they need. Given that farmers need to ensure that the crops …
Government response. 7.1. On the 22 December 2020, Defra announced that the Seasonal Workers Pilot would be extended and expanded for an additional year in 2021, with 30,000 visas available for those wanting to come and work on UK farms for a …
11
Conclusion
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
While the agricultural and food manufacturing sectors have a good record on investing, one way of meeting the challenges of the new immigration policy is for the food supply chain, assisted by innovative and well-designed Government schemes, to become more capital intensive and both drive forward and exploit technological opportunities. …
Government response. 8.1. The Government is grateful to the committee for highlighting the importance of technology and automation for the future of the agri-food sectors, and acknowledge the financial and logistical challenges that small businesses in particular will face when considering mechanising …
12
Recommendation
Third Report - The UK’s new immigration…
We welcome the announcement in November of additional Government funding for new technology, and call upon Defra to publish a strategy within 6 months setting out how it will work with technology providers and the food supply chain to ensure our farming and food production sectors can help develop and …
Government response. 8.1. The Government is grateful to the committee for highlighting the importance of technology and automation for the future of the agri-food sectors, and acknowledge the financial and logistical challenges that small businesses in particular will face when considering mechanising …