Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 22
37th Report - Immigration: Skilled worker visas
Published 4 Jul 2025
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Immigration: Skilled worker visas All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We asked the Home Office what steps it was taking to reduce the risks of exploitation of migrant workers.53 The Home Office said exploitation was a systemic problem that cannot be tackled through enforcement of immigration rules alone, although it accepted that it had a role to play. The Home Office is responsible for ensuring people comply with visa rules and safeguarding migrants, but works with other bodies, including the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), which focuses on exploitation and labour market abuses, sector regulators and other departments such as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).54 The Home Office said that it routinely shares information and works with these bodies, as 49 C&AG’s Report, footnote 32 50 Q 61; C&AG’s Report, para 3.23 51 Q 1; C&AG’s Report, para 15 52 IMM0003; IMM0004; IMM0005; IMM0006; IMM0007; IMM0009 53 Q 61 54 C&AG’s Report, para 3.24 17 well as the Border Force and police. It also works with agencies under the forum of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement, which includes the GLAA and HMRC.55
From: Public Accounts Committee, 37th Report - Immigration: Skilled worker visas (HC 819), 4 July 2025
Government response
Latest Treasury Minutes progress report to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Thirty-seventh Report of Session 2024-26
The government responded to the whole report on 4 June 2026 (deadline 4 September 2025).
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Thirty-seventh report from Session 2024-26
Published 15 October 2025.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government agrees with the Committee's recommendations on labour market evidence, evaluation, care workers, exploitation and compliance, but disagrees with the recommendation on customer service.
- On sector workforce analysis, it agrees that other departments should provide more rigorous analysis, with a target implementation date of July 2026, and says the Labour Market Evidence Group "will further strengthen collaboration" between the Home Office and departments leading on labour market and skills.
- It agrees to set out its evaluation of the Skilled Worker route, with a target date of October 2025, stating that the evaluation was published alongside the Immigration White Paper on 12 May.
- On exploitation, it agrees with the recommendation (target date April 2027) and says an update to the Committee is planned for April 2027, "one year after its creation" of the Fair Work Agency.
- It disagrees with the customer service recommendation, stating the Home Office "is committed to continuous improvement in customer service standards" and that it monitors key indicators.