PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(2 December 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the standard of accommodation provided to seasonal agricultural workers on UK farms in line with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

Asked by:
Ellie Chowns (Green Party)

The government appreciates the importance of all seasonal workers living in safe accommodation.

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) provides a framework for identifying hazardous condition in residential premises. Local authorities in England and Wales have a duty to keep the housing conditions in their area under review and have enforcement powers if they identify a hazard through an HHSRS assessment. This applies to accommodation for seasonal agricultural workers that is within scope of the HHSRS. However, as the HHSRS is a system designed for buildings, it does not apply to caravans or other non-building accommodation types.

Guidance for sponsors of seasonal agricultural workers on a Seasonal Worker visa, which can be found on gov.uk here, is also issued. It sets a requirement that scheme operators must ensure that safe and hygienic accommodation is in place, that complies with all relevant UK laws.

Answered by:
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1 January 1970