To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding what steps it can take to protect horticultural workers on seasonal worker visas from unfair work practices and substandard accommodation. (S6O-03384)

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution that seasonal agricultural workers make to the agriculture sector.

We are fully committed to ensuring that fair work applies to seasonal workers. We have funded the Worker Support Centre Scotland since 2022 to provide free and confidential support to seasonal migrant workers. The Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution provides practical, emotional and financial support to all people involved in the Scottish agricultural industry.

The housing to 2040 strategy aims to ensure that there will be no margins of tolerance, no exemptions and no “acceptable levels” of sub-standard homes in urban, rural or island communities, deprived communities, or tenements.

The Scottish Government has committed to rolling out fair work conditionality for public sector grants and recently confirmed that the real living wage and effective channels for worker representation would apply to five grant schemes for agriculture, crofting and forestry. However, it is unclear when those conditions will apply to direct farm payments, which would do the most to safeguard vulnerable workers on our big fruit farms and protect them from unfair dismissals, unfair piecework payment rates and unsuitable accommodation. Can the Cabinet secretary provide information on when fair work conditions will be extended to cover all farm payments?

The principles of fair work have been a key tenet of the Government’s policies and are also a key driver for achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth. We believe that, when it comes to public funding, those principles should be used to lever in wider benefits, such as the promotion of fair work, to support the development of a successful wellbeing economy over the longer term. That is why we are putting fair work principles at the heart of new agricultural funding streams. Specifically, we committed to introducing a requirement on public sector grants to pay at least the real living wage to all employees and to provide appropriate channels for an effective workers’ voice, such as trade union recognition, in the limits of devolved competence.

A recent report, from April last year, on seasonal migrant workers in Scottish agriculture found that most seasonal workers come to Scotland because working here has been “personally recommended to them” and that 87 per cent of those who were surveyed were satisfied with the accommodation. Does the Minister agree that Scottish agriculture needs access to the people who want to come to Scotland and make a vital contribution, and that the main route to doing that is to undo the damage of a Brexit that was forced on Scotland by Westminster?

I absolutely agree with that. The member has raised some important points. Scotland is a welcoming country; we value those who choose to come, live and work here.

Fruit and vegetables are one of the biggest and fastest-growing parts of our farming sector. Scottish employers are increasingly dependent on migrant workers for a growing proportion of their workforce. The issues that they are experiencing have all been exacerbated by the hard Brexit that the United Kingdom Government chose to pursue.

Seasonal agricultural workers play a hugely important role when it comes to filling vacancies across the agricultural sector as well as helping the overall sustainability of our rural economy. The UK Government’s immigration policies fail to address Scotland’s distinct demographic and economic needs, which highlights the need for a tailored approach to migration.