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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will (a) hold discussions with the (Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of levels of (i) investment by the Irish Government and (ii) access to labour (A) from the EU and (B) through a bespoke visa on the mushroom sector in Northern Ireland and (b) make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs of the potential merits of introducing a bespoke visa to encourage more agricultural workers into Northern Ireland's mushroom sector.

This Government is serious about revitalising the relationship between UK and Devolved Governments and partnering to deliver economic growth and stability.

The Seasonal Workers visa route is a bespoke visa currently available for workers outside of the UK to come and work for up to six months in the horticulture sector, and in the run up to Christmas for the poultry sector. The horticulture sector includes both edible and ornamental horticulture, which covers the mushroom sector in Northern Ireland. The number of seasonal worker visas available for horticulture in 2024 is 45,000, with an additional 2,000 for the poultry sector. The same allocation was available in 2023 and comfortably met the sector’s needs.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) review of the Seasonal Worker visa was published in July. It recommended the continuation of the visa route because of the sector’s unique, highly seasonal and short-term labour requirements and important role in ensuring our food security. The Government will be responding to the MAC this autumn.

Alongside migrant workers arriving through the Seasonal Worker visa route, food and farming businesses can also draw on EU nationals living in the UK with settled or pre-settled status to meet their seasonal worker needs.

I speak regularly to my counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive on shared priorities.