Mr.
Woolas: I will give way because I have not answered the
question about domestic workers and I wish to do
so.
Jim
Cousins: I am grateful. Slightly to misquote the title of
a pamphlet of some years ago, one looks forward to modernisation in the
modernisation. The hon. Member for Ashford referred to the TUC’s
concern about the quality of the employment relationship in the new
system we have created. Will my hon. Friend deal with that point? The
TUC’s concern is that the rules in the Australian
system—the comparator—about employment relationship
quality are not replicated in those we have before
us.
Mr.
Woolas: I take the point and apologise for not responding.
It is not our view that the points-based system should be used
significantly as a guarantor of quality of employment and employment
relations. Our view is that that is addressed in other areas of law and
in other policies. Having said that, the Government’s policy to
avoid exploitation is very dear to our hearts. That is a factor in the
process of licensing and monitoring which I described in answer to
questions from the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington. Let me
give him another reassurance. Tier 3 is closed.
We had a
conversation about manual and non-manual workers. Of course, there are
manual workers who are highly skilled. Notwithstanding that, the entry
of unskilled workers into this country from non-EEA countries is
suspended. That does not mean—as has been read into it by some
sections of the media—turning a blind eye to the exploitation of
workers. We have the seasonal agricultural workers scheme, which we
have not referred to in this debate, but I am grateful to Members in
all parts of the House for support there. Along with colleagues in
other Departments, we believe that the guarantee of employment rights
for people coming in through the points-based system is as important as
that for indigenous workers whose rights are covered. The issues
surrounding domestic workers and workers in diplomatic institutions
have been raised with us by trade unions and others, including the hon.
Member. I listened to the concerns raised about the relatively short
period of time given for acceptance of applications for domestic
workers under the transitional arrangements. We have therefore agreed
to extend the transitional arrangements for diplomatic households until
May 2010. This means that all those domestic workers in diplomatic
households in the UK in this category under the previous system will be
able to take advantage of these arrangements. The extended period will
also allow those who applied for entry to the UK before the new system
was introduced, but who may not yet have entered the country, to be
able to apply under the transitional arrangements.
More
generally, we are committed to ensuring that future arrangements
concerning overseas domestic workers minimise any risk of abuse or
exploitation. It is recognised across the House—it certainly was
when the rules were introduced—that overseas domestic workers
are at particular risk of abuse and exploitation. The current route for
domestic workers in private households is being preserved and then
reviewed as appropriate after the first two years’ operation of
the new system, when we will have been able properly to test our
strategies, and in particular the anti-trafficking strategies. We
therefore have made changes in response to those concerns because
individuals are clearly subject to exploitation and
abuse. The
review, on which we will be working jointly with the various
stakeholders, will include looking at the diplomatic route as well as
domestic workers. There will
be a meeting in March as a first step towards facilitating that review.
I hope that the concerns of the hon. Member for Carshalton and
Wallington on behalf of domestic workers will be allayed by the points
that I have made. I was personally concerned about
that. Tom
Brake: I thank the Minister for that response. Will he set
out in writing in a little more detail what is proposed? That would be
particularly welcome in relation to the diplomatic community, where the
concern is that because diplomats have diplomatic protection and
domestic workers would no longer have the right either to settle or to
remain if there are issues surrounding the way that they are employed,
they would become perhaps one of the most vulnerable groups. I should
like to see in writing how the Government are proposing to address that
particular issue.
Mr.
Woolas: I apologise; I should have done this before. There
is an exchange of letters with the trade unions. I shall write to the
hon. Gentleman and members of the Committee, with copies of the
correspondence so that that is on the record. I shall also place that
correspondence in the Library of the House. This issue concerns a small
number of people. Members will remember stories from 10 and 20 years
ago—I am not making any partisan point—about the
exploitation of particularly vulnerable domestic workers. From
experience, this applies to female employees in particular. I am
grateful to the hon. Member for cajoling me to attend to that—I
should have done it
before. I
hope that I have answered all the questions and I hope this sitting has
been useful. I am grateful to the Opposition for the negative prayer,
even if it is on a one-line Whip day and we have finished
early.
Question
put and agreed to.
Resolved, That
the Committee has considered the Statement of Changes in Immigration
Rules 2008 (HC
1113). 3.29
pm Committee
rose.
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