Source · Select Committees · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation 21
21
While there have been some outbreaks in meat and poultry processing plants in England and...
Recommendation
While there have been some outbreaks in meat and poultry processing plants in England and Wales, these have been in the minority, which is a testament to the efforts of the industry to keep workers safe. Further investigations should be carried out by the Government and industry on the reasons for these outbreaks. We are concerned that factors such as a lack of statutory sick pay may discourage workers from self-isolating if they develop symptoms. The Government should gather data from industry and unions on how many workers could be disincentivised to self-isolate by their employment terms. The Government and industry should also evaluate whether migrant workers face other issues that increase the risk of outbreaks, for example language barriers and living and travel arrangements. (Paragraph 105) Food resilience and security
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Government joins the committee in recognizing the tireless efforts of the food processing industry to remain operational through this uniquely challenging period. Despite the logistical pressures that the essential COVID-19 measures created, the vast majority of these businesses remained open safely and without any outbreaks during the height of the pandemic. This work was essential to protecting the food supply chain and continues to play a central role in both the UK’s economy and the welfare of its residents. As a matter of priority, we are working with PHE, Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and FSA to study newly reported national and international evidence as it emerges and to conduct our own investigations into the transmission pathways in and around food processing plants. We do not yet have a full picture, but—as reported by Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) in July 2020—our current understanding is that they are linked to a combination of working conditions, working culture, and socioeconomic factors including living conditions and shared transport. We are also working with our DA colleagues to seek to find, while accepting this is a devolved area of competence, consistency in approach across the UK. The official guidance for food businesses5 was developed by PHE with input from a number of departments and agencies including Defra. This guidance outlines best practice for the industry on how to adapt their working conditions in light of the current circumstances. PHE is continuing to review and update this guidance in line with the most current available evidence in relation to food processing. The Government has a strong safety net that helps people facing hardship and are unable to support themselves financially – Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is just one part of our wider offer to support people in times of need. During this challenging period, we are taking every opportunity to ensure that everybody is supported to do the right thing. We acknowledge the committee’s stated need to make sure everyone, including seasonal workers, can access the support they need and are entitled to. We have worked throughout this period to facilitate operations within the agri-food industry, and better address the needs of employers and their workforce to access essential resources such as official guidance. This was driven in part by communication between Defra and industry sectors to ensure the Government was considering a complete range of workforce requirements in its response. We extend our gratitude to these stakeholders who worked with us during this busy period. The Government’s response also required taking expert advice from PHE to create a range of robust, evidence-driven guidance which helped industry to operate through challenging circumstances, and ensuring this guidance was disseminated at pace in an accessible way with the requirements of our audience in mind. This included the official guidance for food businesses6 hosted on Gov.UK, and more sector-specific guidance such as the best practice for seasonal workers7 which was developed in partnership with AHDB, and hosted on their website. Once again, this work highlights the strong collaborative relationships which have driven this government’s response to the pandemic, and we are grateful to these expert bodies for their input. We recognize the need for this work to remain current, and the Government will continue to work collaboratively across departments and industry to review and update guidance in line with any changes to requirements, circumstances or available evidence.