Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on ensuring that the seasonal agriculture workers pilot is (a) made permanent and (b) expanded to include 10,000 places this year to meet the needs of the horticulture sector.

We are seeking to evaluate the ability of the Seasonal Workers Pilot to assist in alleviating labour shortages during peak production periods.

There are currently no plans to expand the pilot as we will fully assess the pilot before taking any decisions on future arrangements. Defra and the Home Office will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the Pilot against its stated aims.