Third Report - The UK’s new immigration policy and the food supply chain
Select Committee
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
HC 231
22 December 2020
No response data available yet.
Government response
First Special Report: The UK’s new immigration policy and the food supply chain: Government Response to the Committee’s Third Report of Session 2019–21 · published 14 May 2021
Recommendations & Conclusions
12 results
1
Recommendation
In order to secure the labour it requires to maintain production levels under the new...
Recommendation
In order to secure the labour it requires to maintain production levels under the new immigration policy, the food supply chain will have to attract more resident staff. Although it must be recognised there are significant structural barriers preventing many …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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2
Recommendation
Para 25
The UK is competing globally for skilled labour, the availability of which is vital to...
Recommendation
The UK is competing globally for skilled labour, the availability of which is vital to the ongoing success of the UK food supply chain. It is important therefore that bureaucracy and fees are minimised, and their impact kept under review. …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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3
Conclusion
Para 29
The example of the veterinarian sector highlights the important role that overseas- trained employees undertake...
Conclusion
The example of the veterinarian sector highlights the important role that overseas- trained employees undertake in the food supply chain, in this case working in abattoirs that are unattractive to UK-trained vets. In addition, these Official Veterinarians face an increase …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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4
Recommendation
For those employing skilled workers, it is important to ensure that pay and conditions reflect...
Recommendation
For those employing skilled workers, it is important to ensure that pay and conditions reflect the nature of the work in order to help attract more UK workers into the food supply chain. For example, the Government’s work to increase …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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5
Recommendation
By focusing on academic qualifications, the new immigration policy takes a narrow focus on skills,...
Recommendation
By focusing on academic qualifications, the new immigration policy takes a narrow focus on skills, although we welcome the Government’s decision to reduce the threshold to the equivalent of A-levels or Scottish Highers (RQF3/SCQF6). We are concerned that this policy …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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6
Recommendation
Food supply chain businesses should seek to attract the unemployed who may previously have worked...
Recommendation
Food supply chain businesses should seek to attract the unemployed who may previously have worked in other sectors of the UK economy through better pay and conditions and offering training opportunities. The Government should also play a role in supporting …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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7
Recommendation
The lack of a transition period for the introduction of the new immigration policy creates...
Recommendation
The lack of a transition period for the introduction of the new immigration policy creates risks and therefore Defra, the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions must work together to closely monitor the food supply chain to …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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8
Recommendation
Para 48
It is a matter of concern that there continues to be no single, agreed figure...
Recommendation
It is a matter of concern that there continues to be no single, agreed figure for the aggregate number and the breakdown by nationality of seasonal agricultural workers, given the importance of this data for the formulation of policy. The …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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9
Conclusion
Para 61
While we commend Defra for standing up the Pick for Britain scheme so quickly and...
Conclusion
While we commend Defra for standing up the Pick for Britain scheme so quickly and for promoting it successfully, this cannot hide the fact that it did not achieve what it hoped to do: attract a significant number of British …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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10
Recommendation
We therefore recommend that the Seasonal Workers Pilot for 2021 should be expanded to include...
Recommendation
We therefore recommend that the Seasonal Workers Pilot for 2021 should be expanded to include other food supply chain and agricultural sectors beyond edible horticulture, and have a sufficiently generous cap that allows all businesses to recruit the labour they …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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11
Conclusion
Para 67
While the agricultural and food manufacturing sectors have a good record on investing, one way...
Conclusion
While the agricultural and food manufacturing sectors have a good record on investing, one way of meeting the challenges of the new immigration policy is for the food supply chain, assisted by innovative and well-designed Government schemes, to become more …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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12
Recommendation
We welcome the announcement in November of additional Government funding for new technology, and call...
Recommendation
We welcome the announcement in November of additional Government funding for new technology, and call upon Defra to publish a strategy within 6 months setting out how it will work with technology providers and the food supply chain to ensure …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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