image expired

Jim Paice added that "the future of the board will be subject to public consultation, as required by the provisions of the Bill. We hope to consult before the end of the year. That will ensure that the consultation is widely advertised to meet the requirements of the Bill. Equally important and relevant to points that have been made tonight, an impact assessment and equality impact assessment will be published as part of the consultation."

The shadow environment minister Mary Creagh says that "The government says it's committed to fairness – but the abolition of the AWB will lead to lower wages in the countryside, and a worse deal for farm workers and fruit pickers. According to Defra's own figures, the abolition of the AWB will take £9 million a year out of the rural high street from holiday and sick pay alone; forty two thousand casual workers will see a drop in wages once the AWB is gone (October 2012). The remaining 110,000 could see their wages eroded over time.