CURRY HOUSE CLOSURES

Motion Text

That this House notes there are an estimated 12,000 curry restaurants and takeaways across the UK, employing more than 100,000 people in an industry worth £4.2 billion to the economy; further notes research from Nationwide that the average home spends £1,355 a year on curries and that, according to National Curry Week, 23 million people eat curry every year; believes that the curry has become a core part of British cuisine since the first curry house opened in Britain in 1810; commends generations of Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis who have brought their wonderful cuisine to Britain; expresses concern that on average two curry houses a week are now closing; notes that a strong factor behind this trend is the Home Office's Tier 2 visa scheme which caps the number of visas awarded to non-EU workers every year at 20,700; further notes that qualifying for a Tier 2 visa requires a job paying £20,800, but, with chefs being on the Government’s Shortage Occupation List, the salary threshold is significantly higher at £29,750 after deductions for accommodation and food; notes that the average salary for a chef is £24,745; believes it is therefore extremely difficult to hire skilled curry house chefs from abroad; notes that Government measures to plug the skills gap domestically have not worked; calls on Government to look at lowering the Tier 2 visa scheme's minimum salary requirement for chefs to enable easier recruitment from abroad and therefore give Britain's curry houses a much needed boost.