Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that the duties of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement are undertaken while that post is vacant; and if he will make a statement.

We are in the process of recruiting a new Director of Labour Market Enforcement and will announce an appointment in due course.

The main duties of the Director are to prepare a yearly strategy, an annual report, and maintain an information hub. The previous Director has already submitted his Strategy for 2021/22 and it will need to be considered by the Government and enforcement bodies before approval for publication, as required by the Immigration Act 2016.

The three enforcement bodies themselves are responsible for their overall work and enforcement responsibilities. They will continue to work hard to protect workers and bring enforcement action against employers who break the rules.