Seasonal Worker visa scheme

That this House notes the report by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism into the exploitation of agricultural seasonal workers; recognises the identified risks of exploitation for workers entering the UK on the agricultural seasonal worker visa, including debt, bullying, wage theft and substandard accommodation; highlights the importance of recruitment to the scheme being safe and accountable and complying with the Employer Pays Principle as well as the International Labour Organization definition of recruitment fees and related costs; calls on the Government to commit to urgently address the identified risks to seasonal workers before the scheme is extended or expanded and to introduce measures which allow better monitoring of compliance with employment law and labour standards on the scheme; further calls on the Government to clarify departmental responsibility for the scheme and departmental accountability for access to and enforcement of rights under employment law for seasonal workers; additionally calls on the Government to ensure that there is transparency about the scheme by publishing an annual report including recruitment supply chains, working conditions, hours and earnings in the UK and complaints and redress to inform planning and decision making; and urges the relevant select committees to conduct an inquiry into the scheme to establish whether seasonal workers are able to exercise their rights and access UK employment law and compensation schemes where needed without risking their work, visa or income.