Asked by: Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 21 October (HL1287), when they will update the guidance to reflect the ability to switch to a different scheme operator if the licence of their current scheme operator is revoked.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office works closely with DEFRA and Scheme Operators to enable them to manage their visa allocations.
In the event that a Scheme Operator for the Seasonal Worker route became unlicensed for any reason, the Home Office would consider each case on its own merits and tailor our response accordingly with the primary aim of preventing detriment to individuals, which may include moving workers to a different scheme operator where possible and appropriate.
The Home Office has no current plans to update the guidance but will keep this under review.
Asked by: Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they give to workers on Seasonal Worker visas to switch to a different scheme operator if the licence of their current scheme operator is revoked, so that those workers can stay in the United Kingdom horticultural sector for the remainder of the time left on their visa.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Provisions have been put in place to make certain that there is no detriment to individuals who were sponsored by any company that no longer has a valid Home Office sponsor licence.
The Home Office has ensured that there is continuity of work with alternative sponsors for those who were originally attached to companies that have had their sponsor licence revoked.
Asked by: Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the revocation of Ethero’s licence as a scheme operator under the seasonal worker visa scheme, whether that company still holds a Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority licence; and if so, what plans they have to review that licence.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Ethero still hold a GLAA licence and the GLAA are considering appropriate measures in light of the revocation.
Asked by: Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that all seasonal worker scheme operators have complied with the requirement that all workers must receive a minimum of 32 hours’ pay for each week of their stay in the UK; and what plans they have, if any, to investigate scheme operator practice to ensure compliance with this requirement.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has a designated Seasonal Worker Scheme (SWS) team that regularly conducts visits to individual farms employing seasonal migrant workers. Checks are undertaken to ensure workers are offered a minimum of 32 hours employment per week and are paid at the appropriate rates.
Scheme operators that are responsible for the recruitment of the migrant workers are obliged to retain records of working hours and wages and these are inspected annually by sponsorship compliance officers. If discrepancies are discovered, then the SWS team will commence action against the respective scheme operator. This can include suspension or revocation of an operator’s licence.
From March 2023 to date, 241 farm visits have been conducted and 1,700 migrant workers interviewed. We will continue to consider how best to tackle labour exploitation in the Seasonal Worker Scheme.