West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin today helped local fruit and vegetable growers who rely on seasonal agricultural workers to pick their crops. The MP today took Worcestershire growers to Whitehall to meet with Employment Minister Chris Grayling to see how they might be able to hire local British workers, rather than the seasonal workers from Eastern Europe they usually rely on. The Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme allows workers from as far afield as Moldova to travel to Britain to take short term jobs which British workers are reluctant to do because they will lose benefits. And the MP also quizzed Home Office Minister Damian Green in the House of Commons about the current Seasonal Agricultural Workers visa scheme. She said: “The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme which expires in December 2013 allows farmers and growers to bring in workers from as far away as the Ukraine and Moldova*. “Does the Minister agree with me that with Welfare Reform it should make it more attractive for British crops to be picked by British workers.” The Minister welcomed her question and added that it was important that British workers are ‘trained and have the right attitude to take the jobs available either in agriculture or in other sectors’. Speaking after the debate Harriett added: “At the moment the benefit system makes it unattractive for British workers to take these jobs, even though they pay over the minimum wage and accommodation is provided. People return home after a season with thousands of pounds saved. “The introduction of Universal Credit in 2013 will allow British workers to accept seasonal work without losing benefit, as there will be a cash “disregard” for earnings and benefits will be withdrawn at a lower rate than now. “Let’s use this opportunity to work with growers so that they don’t have to go as far afield as they do now to find willing and reliable labour.” “I am pleased that the Employment Minister agreed to set up a working group between the Department for Work and Pensions and the National Farmers' Union to plan ahead for the expiry of the SAW scheme.” *since 2008 the scheme has been retricted to EU members Bulgaria and Romania. FULL TEXT: Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con): What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the permanent cap on non-EU work migrants after its first year of operation. [108028] The Minister for Immigration (Damian Green): The annual limit, together with other measures such as raising the minimum skills level, has ensured that we have kept the numbers of non-EU workers at sustainable levels while allowing employers to access the brightest and best migrants. Harriett Baldwin: The seasonal agricultural workers scheme, which expires in December 2013, allows farmers and growers to bring in workers from as far away as Ukraine and Moldova. Does the Minister agree that welfare reform should make it more attractive for British crops to be picked by British workers? Damian Green: My hon. Friend makes a good point. Immigration reform is one necessary element of creating a more balanced labour force, but the other two elements are welfare and educational reform, which will ensure that British workers are trained and have the right attitude to take the jobs available, in agriculture or in other sectors. [Interruption.] The Opposition Front-Bench team appear to deride these types of jobs. I suggest that is a big mistake. | Hansard