HC Deb 19 September 2002 vol 390 cc14-7W
Mr. Weir

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign students have received visas to enter the UK to work as seasonal workers in agriculture in each of the last five years, broken down by nation and region. [73055]

Beverley Hughes

The available information relates to the total number of persons who have been granted leave to enter the United Kingdom on the Seasonal Agricultural Scheme. Scheme participants must be students in full-time education and aged between 18–25.

The table shows the number of admissions into the United Kingdom by nationality for the period 1996–2000 inclusive. Information is not available for 2001.

Table 1. Agricultural Workers Given Leave to enter the United Kingdom, excluding EEA Nationals, by nationality, 1996–2001(1)
United Kingdom Numbers of Persons
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Ethiopia — — — — —
Ghana 10 10 10 10 10
Kenya 10 † † † †
Libya — † — — —
Mauritius — — † — —
Morocco † † † † †
Nigeria † † — † †
Sierra Leone † † — — —
Somalia — — — † —
South Africa — — — † †
Sudan — — — — —
Tanzania 20 10 10 † 10
Tunisia † † † † —
Uganda † — † † †
Zambia — — — — —
Zimbabwe — — — — —
Other Africa 10 10 110 20 30
TOTAL AFRICA 80 60 40 60 50
Bangladesh † † — † —
India † — † † †
Pakistan † † † † —
TOTAL INDIAN SUB-CONTINENTIran † † † 10 †
Iran — † — — —
Iraq — — — — —
Israel — † — — —
Jordan — † † — —
Kuwait — — — — —
Lebanon — † — — —
Saudi Arabia — — — — —
Syria — — — — —
Yemen — — † — —
Other Middle East † † † — —
China † — — 10 30
Hong Kong BDTC/BN(O) — — — — —
Hong Kong Stateless — — — — —
Indonesia — — — — —
Japan † † † — †
Malaysia — — † — —
Philippines — — — — †
Singapore — — — — —
South Korea — — — — †
Sri Lanka † † † † †
Taiwan — — — — —
Thailand — — — — —
Other Asia † † † 30 110
Non-ISC Asia 10 20 10 40 140
TOTAL ASIA 10 20 10 50 150
Australia † — † 10 †
New Zealand — † † † †
Other Oceania — — — — —
TOTAL OCEANIA † † 10 10 †
British Overseas Citizens — — — — —
Stateless N-E-S- 10 30 40 30 30
All Nationalities (EXL-EEA) 5,550 9,280 9,450 9,760 10,100

(1)All figures rounded to the nearest 10, or if above 1000 to the nearest 3 significant figures.

"0

† 5 or less

Mr. Weir

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what regulations are in force relating to(a) the employment of foreign students as seasonal workers in agriculture, (b) the standards of welfare and accommodation provided for foreign students employed as seasonal workers in agriculture and (c) remuneration of foreign students employed as seasonal workers in agriculture; [73056]

(2) which authority is charged with supervising standards of accommodation welfare and remuneration of foreign students employed as seasonal workers in agriculture. [73053]

Beverley Hughes

The Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme (SAWS) is administered under Home Office oversight by seven approved operators.

A Code of Practice sets out the obligations of all those involved. The recruitment of workers is the responsibility of the operators. Operators must ensure that farmers provide suitable accommodation and access to recreational activities, such as the opportunity to learn English. Operators are also responsible for ensuring that farmers adhere to minimum pay regulations set out by the Agricultural Wages Board. The Board cannot set a minimum rate that is below the National Minimum Wage. Operators may withdraw workers mid-season and exclude farmers from the scheme if they do not provide suitable pay and accommodation.