Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people who received a seasonal worker visa stayed in the UK beyond the six-month limit for horticultural work in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, including Seasonal Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance visas dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of June 2025.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar.’
Seasonal Worker | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (Jan - Jun) |
Applications | 33,592 | 36,434 | 28,837 |
Issued | 32,758 | 35,387 | 28,923 |
Refused | 676 | 669 | 194 |
The information requested regarding work placements in Scotland and overstayers in the horticultural and poultry industries is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people who received a seasonal worker visa stayed in the UK beyond the two-month limit for poultry work in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, including Seasonal Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance visas dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of June 2025.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar.’
Seasonal Worker | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (Jan - Jun) |
Applications | 33,592 | 36,434 | 28,837 |
Issued | 32,758 | 35,387 | 28,923 |
Refused | 676 | 669 | 194 |
The information requested regarding work placements in Scotland and overstayers in the horticultural and poultry industries is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people applied for a seasonal worker visa in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025, broken down by how many applications were (a) accepted, and (b) rejected.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, including Seasonal Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance visas dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of June 2025.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar.’
Seasonal Worker | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (Jan - Jun) |
Applications | 33,592 | 36,434 | 28,837 |
Issued | 32,758 | 35,387 | 28,923 |
Refused | 676 | 669 | 194 |
The information requested regarding work placements in Scotland and overstayers in the horticultural and poultry industries is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people who received a seasonal worker visa completed their work placement in Scotland in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, including Seasonal Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance visas dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of June 2025.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar.’
Seasonal Worker | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (Jan - Jun) |
Applications | 33,592 | 36,434 | 28,837 |
Issued | 32,758 | 35,387 | 28,923 |
Refused | 676 | 669 | 194 |
The information requested regarding work placements in Scotland and overstayers in the horticultural and poultry industries is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reform the grid connections queue in order to remove "zombie scheme" energy applications.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is working closely with the National Energy System Operator, Ofgem and the network companies to deliver fundamental reform of the grid connections process. The reforms will prioritise connections for viable and strategically aligned projects needed for clean power, helping unlock £40 billion of mainly private investment a year in clean energy and infrastructure. They will ensure only projects that are ready and needed are offered a connection, by requiring evidence of land access and permission to build, as well as how a project strategically aligns with the Clean Power Action Plan.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how many "shovel-ready" energy applications have secured grid connections in Scotland since 2021, broken down by local authority area.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department does not hold this data however, through reforms to the connections process, only projects that are ready and needed will be offered a connection, by requiring evidence of land access and permission to build, as well as how a project aligns with the Clean Power Action Plan.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to discourage energy companies from lodging speculative "zombie scheme" energy applications.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is working closely with the National Energy System Operator, Ofgem and the network companies to deliver fundamental reform of the grid connections process. The reforms will prioritise connections for viable and strategically aligned projects needed for clean power, helping unlock £40 billion of mainly private investment a year in clean energy and infrastructure. They will ensure only projects that are ready and needed are offered a connection, by requiring evidence of land access and permission to build, as well as how a project strategically aligns with the Clean Power Action Plan.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how many "zombie scheme" energy applications have secured grid connection offers in Scotland since 2021, broken down by local authority area.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department does not hold this data however, through reforms to the connections process, only projects that are ready and needed will be offered a connection, by requiring evidence of land access and permission to build, as well as how a project aligns with the Clean Power Action Plan.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to assist (1) residential properties, (2) business properties, in island communities in Scotland who are yet to switch over from Radio Teleswitch Service meters to smart meters.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
DESNZ has stepped in to ensure there will be a managed and more controlled start of the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) phase out from 30 June. People with an RTS meter will not face any unexpected disruption to their heating or hot water when the phase out begins.
The RTS Taskforce, which is attended by Government, has agreed that resources should be targeted towards regional hotspots, such as Scotland, with a high number of RTS meters and it is leading work to ensure suppliers have sufficient installer capacity to replace RTS meters in residential and business premises across GB.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to energy companies to expedite smart meter installations as part of the phased Radio Teleswitch Service shutdown.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Ofgem and industry have convened a taskforce on the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) involving all major energy suppliers, which the Government attends. This is working with key stakeholders to urgently ramp up efforts to replace the remaining RTS meters in Great Britain.
The Minister for Energy Consumers is meeting with Energy UK and Ofgem on a fortnightly basis to discuss progress, with a particular focus on Scotland and remote and rural areas.
The Government is clear that suppliers must fulfil all their legal obligations to their customers and will work with Ofgem to hold suppliers to account.