Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a seasonal visa scheme for heavy goods vehicle drivers in the UK.

The Government has no plans to introduce a seasonal visa scheme for heavy goods vehicle drivers in the UK.

Our new points-based immigration system makes clear employers should focus on investing in and offering rewarding packages to our domestic workforce, especially those needing to find new employment because of the economic impact of the pandemic, rather than relying on labour from abroad.

The Government is therefore working with the haulage sector to promote jobs, training, and a range of other initiatives to get more people into HGV driving.

The Home Office has amended the Immigration Rules for the visitor route to enable drivers who come to the UK on an international journey to transport goods or people on journeys within the UK and undertake cabotage operations in line with Department for Transport rules.