Downing Street Says » Gangmasters

» Monday, January 10, 2005

Gangmasters

Asked if there was any response to the Guardian article suggesting that the Government had no idea how many gang masters or illegal immigrants working for them there were the PMOS said that the Gangmasters Licensing Act came into effect on the 7 January. What it did was to establish the authority to operate a licensing scheme, set licensing conditions and maintained a register of licensed gangmasters. It created new offences including operating without a license; engaging in the services of an unlicensed gangmaster; using false documentation; it had a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment; increased enforcement through out the country and also trebled funding for Reflex the operation aimed at gang master with £20m each year over 3 years. All that suggested that quite a lot was going. Yes there was a problem but that was precisely why the Government supported the Act. Asked if he accepted that all this was too little too late the PMOS said that he accepted that there was a problem and that we had analysed that problem and taken a legislative step to address that problem.

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