An SNP MP has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel, urging her to support the meat processing sector in its current labour struggles.

Richard Thomson MP, who represents the Gordon constituency, has urged Ms Patel to act on the recommendations of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to add butchers and meat processing workers to the Shortage Occupation List, to make it easier for processing plants to recruit migrant workers to plug the shortfall in workers currently being experienced.

Mr Thomson has criticised the UK Government for 'failing' to act on the MAC’s recommendation, made back in September 2020, despite concerns across the sector that the shortage of skilled workers will impact on businesses.

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In his letter, Mr Thomson wrote: “The role of non-UK labour is of fundamental importance in the slaughter and processing sector. The red meat supply chain in Scotland generates an annual output of some £2.4 billion GVA, and employs more than 33,000 people, with migrant labour playing a key role. This should come as no surprise to your department as Quality Meat Scotland highlighted this in a Brexit briefing paper as far back as June 2017. It is therefore extremely disappointing that the UK Government has thus far failed to recognise this and act on the recommendations of the Migration Advisory Committee.

“Many meat processing businesses are located in areas with unemployment levels which have historically been below the national average, such as Aberdeenshire, making recruitment an issue and migrant labour all the more important.

“I therefore request that you give this matter urgent consideration and act on the recommendations of the Migration Advisory Committee on meat processing workers.”