In questions to the Department for Exiting the European Union in the House of Commons on 7th September, I asked Brexit Minister Steve Baker what support his Department and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) were offering the farming sector after the UK leaves the EU. I followed this with a question about whether the Government was considering reintroducing a seasonal agricultural workers scheme after Brexit to guarantee labour supplies in the farming sector. The previous scheme was ended in 2013 and the NFU is already concerned that the 67,000 seasonal workers in the industry is insufficient. MPs of rural constituencies are therefore looking for assurances that measures will be taken to secure workers for labour-intensive seasonal work in agriculture and horticulture.
The Minister confirmed that the Government will supply the same cash total in funds for farming support until the end of this Parliament and said that DEFRA would be introducing an Agriculture Bill that will look to ensure a “thriving and self-reliant sector” after Brexit. In response to my question about seasonal labour, the Minister assured the House that Government policy towards seasonal agricultural labour was under constant review and businesses are free to recruit EU labour as normal until the UK’s departure from the EU. He said that once we have left the EU, a new agricultural workers scheme could be reintroduced within 5 to 6 months if necessary. He said that the Government has full confidence in its ability to fully meet needs in the farming sector after the UK leaves the EU, whether this is through a new scheme or other policy route.
I was pleased to hear the minster recognise the importance of farming in the UK economy and recognise the impact leaving the EU will have on the sector in terms of both opportunities and challenges. I was particularly reassured that the Government is taking the issue of labour supply in agriculture seriously and is open to the reintroduction of migrant workers schemes if necessary. It is also encouraging to hear that the Department for Exiting the European Union is working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Home Office to guarantee migrant labour supplies within the new immigration framework that will be in place after Brexit. They are evidently confident that this work has been productive and the Government is ready to facilitate a smooth transition for the sector.
These kind of assurances are important for farmers in Worcestershire and across the UK as our departure from the EU draws closer. I am sure that farmers in my constituency will be happy to hear the Government’s commitments to ensuring their labour supplies, and I look forward to continuing to monitor this and related issues on their behalf.