Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pick for Britain and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Schemes

Thursday 15 October 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Pick for Britain campaign generated nearly 2 million unique page views since its launch.
  • Evaluation of the seasonal agricultural workers pilot scheme is ongoing.
  • Anecdotal evidence suggests UK-based workers initially made up around one-third of the seasonal horticultural workforce but dropped below 20% by season's end.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Richard Thomson
Immigration Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The question arises from an ongoing assessment of two UK government schemes aimed at addressing labour shortages in horticulture and agriculture. These include the Pick for Britain campaign and a seasonal agricultural workers pilot scheme.

Question

What assessment has been made of the (a) Pick for Britain scheme and (b) seasonal agricultural workers pilot scheme?

Answer from George Eustice

The Pick for Britain campaign generated nearly 2 million unique page views since its launch, resulting in a significant number of UK-based workers filling seasonal roles. The evaluation of the pilot scheme is ongoing and will be announced at a later date.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific evidence or data supporting the effectiveness of both schemes has not been provided; only general statements about interest and impact are given.

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Q2 Richard Thomson
Immigration Employment
Context

The Secretary of State previously claimed that one-third of the seasonal horticulture workforce was from the UK in 2020. This question seeks evidence supporting this claim and further asks about meeting labour requirements for next year.

Question

Could the Secretary of State provide evidence to support his claim that one third of the seasonal horticultural workforce in 2020 was UK-based? Could he confirm what plans his Department has to meet the industry's urgent need for workers?

Answer from George Eustice

During last summer, regular dialogue was held with horticulture sector companies. At the beginning of the season, a significant number of domestic workers took up roles, initially around one-third, but this dropped to below 20% by season's end based on anecdotal evidence.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Anecdotal evidence was provided instead of concrete data or formal reports. No specific plans for meeting next year's labour requirements were detailed.

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