The Work and Pensions Committee Holds A One-Off Evidence Session Wednesday 18 January 2017

The Work and Pensions Committee holds a one-off evidence session and hears from employers, experts and industry representatives on the potential impact of Britain’s exit from the European Union on UK firms’ ability to recruit the workers they need.

Witnesses

Wednesday 18 January 2017, Wilson Room, Portcullis House

At 9.30am

• * Beverly Dixon, Group HR Director, G’s Group
• * Susanna Rendall, Managing Director, The Boxford Group
• * Nicolas Roach, Chairman, Nicolas James Group (owner Harbour Hotels Group)
• * Matthew Sumner, Managing Director, Midas Care

At 10.15am

• * Andrew Clark, Director of Policy, National Farmers’ Union
• * John Guthrie, Employment Policy Adviser, British Hospitality Association
• * Heather Rolfe, Associate Research Director, National Institute of Economic and Social Research
• * Laura Smith, Communications Manager, Build UK

Focus of the session

The session is likely to focus on the following topics:

• * Which sectors would be most affected by an end to the free movement of EU-national workers, especially in respect of seasonal or semi-skilled labour
• * The potential for workless UK nationals to fill gaps in the workforce caused by future restrictions to the inflow of EU workers
• * The DWP’s role in identifying sectoral recruitment needs – in terms of volumes and skill levels – to inform Government’s Brexit negotiation objectives and the UK’s subsequent migration policy
• * Scope for DWP involvement in the reintroduction of sector-specific temporary visa schemes – such as the previous seasonal agricultural workers scheme – to maintain efficiency of labour supply to the UK economy while enabling the Government to manage the volume of long-term migration

Background

Unemployment in the UK currently stands at 1.6 million (4.8%), the lowest level in over a decade. Free movement of EU nationals into the UK to work has provided UK employers with an abundant pool of labour to meet recruitment needs across many sectors and at a variety of skill levels. Alongside the substantial increase of EU nationals employed in the UK since 2004, the proportion of UK nationals in employment has risen to its highest level in at least two decades.

It has been suggested that potential restrictions in the supply of workers from abroad, at a time of relatively low spare capacity in the UK labour market, could lead to labour market pressures that impinge on economic growth and efficiency. The Committee hears from a range of business voices representing sectors with a relatively high migrant workforce from the EU and examines the DWP’s role in identifying and addressing this challenge.

Notes to eds:

Committee Membership is as follows: 

Frank Field (Labour, Birkenhead) (Chair); Heidi Allen (Conservative, South Cambridgeshire); Mhairi Black (Scottish National Party, Paisley and Renfrewshire South); Ms Karen Buck, (Labour, Westminster North); James Cartlidge, (Conservative, South Suffolk); Neil Coyle (Labour, (Bermondsey & Old Southwark); Richard Graham (Conservative, Gloucester); Luke Hall, (Conservative, Thornbury and Yate); Craig Mackinlay (Conservative, South Thanet); Steve McCabe (Labour, Birmingham Selly Oak); Royston Smith, (Conservative, Southampton Itchen)