Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail any engagement he has had with the Home Office on the UK Government’s upcoming Immigration White Paper.
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: My Department provided substantial input to The Executive Office to inform the NI response to the Home Office’s request for proposals to be considered for inclusion in the White Paper.
DAERA’s input outlined the situation in the mushroom and fishing sectors with regards to inadequate labour availability meaning the viability of these sectors is under threat. There is also the potential for future labour shortages of butchers in the food processing sector.
I have previously communicated these issues and suggested modest policy proposals to resolve the challenges with the Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed OBE and more recently with Minister Fleur Anderson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office.
The proposals included within the UK Government’s Immigration White Paper are deeply concerning in relation to their potential impact on NI agri-food businesses. It does not appear that the White Paper takes account of the specific needs of agri-food or NI’s unique circumstances. The proposed increase in the overall skills threshold for migration to RQF 6 effectively removes the eligibility of butchers and fishing occupations from the Skilled Worker Route.
My officials and I will be engaging further with the UK Government on the matters arising from the White Paper which impact on the NI agri-food sector.
ENDS
Your MLA 