Written questions by Rankin.

Whether he has sought advice from the Prime Minister’s new advisor, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, on the impact the Employment Rights Act 2025 upon (a) businesses and (b) the economy.

Awaiting answer.

For what reason the tripartite approach of discussions involving trade unions and business groups was not followed for the consultation period of the Employment Rights Act, with specific reference to the consultation entitled 'Make Work Pay: trade union right of access'.

Awaiting answer.

If he will commit to completing an affordability impact assessment of trade union access to SMEs.

Awaiting answer.

How many apprentices his Department recruited in (a) 2025, (b) 2022, (c) 2023 and (d) 2024.

On 1st July 2023 due to a Machinery of Government Change, the Department of International Trade (DIT) became the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), alongside parts of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). We therefore only hold information from DBT from 1st July 2023. Information included for 2022 only captures former DIT apprenticeship starts. Information for 2023 includes starts from January to June for former DIT. Data provided is sourced from internal-to-DBT management information trackers. Response relates to apprentices recruited/onboarded onto Apprenticeship Programmes. Years here are taken to mean calendar years, not financial years.YearApprenticeship Starts on Programme2022 (DIT Only)8820237620241022025119

When he will publish the response to the consultation entitled Make Work Pay: trade union right of access, published on 23 October 2025.

Officials are in the process of reviewing the responses to the consultation, and the government will publish a formal response in due course.

With reference to the Adam Smith Institute's report entitled Knock, Knock: The Effects of the New Union Access Regime on SMEs, published on 6 February 2026, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of that report’s findings of the potential impact of the proposed trade union access on the level costs for SMEs; and if he will make it his policy to implement the mitigations recommended in the report, including raising the trade union access threshold to businesses with a minimum headcount of 250 employees.

My officials have considered the Adam Smith Institute’s report, alongside other relevant evidence, as part of the policy development process. Our consultation, Make Work Pay: trade union right of access, proposed an exemption for employers with fewer than 21 employees, with the aim of ensuring access is directed toward workplaces where recognition is most likely to be viable, while taking account of the practical implications for smaller employers.We are currently reviewing responses to the consultation and will set out the Government’s final approach in our formal response, which will be published in due course.

How much their department spent on X and xAI since July 2024.

Paid advertising on X was suspended in April 2023 following a SAFE Framework assessment. X is currently used only for organic (non-paid) content to communicate policies and public services.The Department for Business and Trade has spent £84.00 with X since July 2024 on X Premium, the platform’s premium subscription service.

With reference to his Department's consultation entitled Make Work Pay: Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces, published on 23 October 2025, what discussions he has had with business organisations about the raising of the threshold to exempt SMEs with a headcount less than 250 employees.

As part of the consultation process, we engaged with business organisations and unions on proposals put forward in the public consultation, including the proposed exemption from statutory access provisions for employers of a certain size. We are carefully reviewing all responses to this consultation and will publish a formal response in due course.

With reference to the consultation on rights of trade unions to access workplaces, how many responses did the consultation receive, and what percentage of those responses were from a) SMEs, b) other sized businesses, c) trade unions, and d) any other organisations.

The government is carefully reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish its formal response in due course. This will include a breakdown of respondents.

With reference to his Department's consultation entitled Make Work Pay: Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces, published on 23 October 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposals on the administrative workload of SMEs.

The government will introduce the new trade union right of access in a regulated and responsible manner, ensuring it is workable for employers who receive requests for access. Our published impact assessment titled "Strengthening workers’ rights to trade union access, recognition and representation" provides a further assessment of why these reforms will not disproportionately affect micro or small businesses. In the consultation document, Make Work Pay: Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces, the government sought views on exempting employers with fewer than 21 employees. This would mean that micro-businesses and most small employers would not be within scope of the policy. We are carefully reviewing all responses to the consultation and will publish a formal response in due course.