A seasonal agricultural workers’ scheme should be expanded to help Scottish soft fruit farms, a Tory MP has said.
Gordon MP Colin Clark, speaking at prime minister’s questions, urged the government to expand a pilot scheme for non-EU workers launched at the start of the year.
The Home Office scheme will see around 2,500 workers brought in from non-EU countries on six month visas over the next two years.
Mr Clark said: “To ensure the British appetite for strawberries and Scottish rasps are fulfilled, will you encourage the Home Office to extend the seasonal agricultural workers scheme from 2,500 to 10,000 this year and open it up to 30 to 40,000 next year to make sure our appetites are fulfilled?”
Cabinet Office secretary David Lidington, who was standing in for Theresa May, responded: “The pilot has never been designed to meet the full labour needs of the horticultural sector.
“Clearly we will need to evaluate what happens with that pilot scheme in practice, but I know the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Environment will be looking very closely at the north-east of Scotland.”
MPs heard on Tuesday that farms would have to stump up between £700 and £1,000 to take part in the pilot.
Stephanie Maurel, chief executive of Concordia, which was awarded a Home Office contract to supply the labour, told the Scottish Affairs Committee that farms would be charged £700 to register and then £180 to £220 per worker requested.
Matthew Jarett, managing director of Pro-Force ltd ,which was also awarded a contract to supply labour, told MPs his firm would be charging a “significant” audit fee of £1,000.
