Written questions by Timothy.

If he will take steps to consult on (a) secondary legislation and (b) policy on trade union voluntary access (i) agreements and (ii) adjudication.

Clause 46 of the Employment Rights Bill provides a framework for trade unions to access workplaces where an access agreement is reached between an independent trade union and an employer, making it easier for union representatives to recruit, organise and carry out other union-related activities. The Government ran a consultation that closed on 2 December about the approach to enforcement of the right of access provisions. We are currently considering the responses to that consultation and will publish a government response in due course. The Government will also consult on secondary legislation relating to the right of access framework following Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Bill.

With reference to his Department’s consultation, Making Work Pay: Consultation on creating a modern framework for industrial relations, published in October 2024, what his planned timetable is for the consultation on lowering the admissibility requirements for the statutory trade union recognition ballot process.

The Employment Rights Bill includes a provision to provide Ministers with the power to bring forward secondary legislation to vary the trade union recognition admissibility threshold between 2% and 10%. Once the Bill obtains Royal Assent the Government intends to consult on lowering the admissibility threshold prior to issuing secondary legislation.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing the threshold for the number of employees within an organisation for it to be eligible for the statutory trade union recognition ballot process.

The Government is simplifying the process and the law around statutory recognition thresholds, so that working people have a meaningful right to organise through trade unions. As part of this, we are removing the antiquated rule that means that unions must show at the application stage that they are likely to get a majority in a subsequent recognition ballot. We will also consult on whether the 10% membership requirement on application should be reduced following Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Bill.

What industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) his Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to his Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps he plans to take to end each dispute.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and its Arm’s Length Bodies collectively comprises of 9,921 FTE (as of March 2024). There are currently no ongoing industrial disputes with DBT employees within DBT or any of its Arm’s Length Bodies.There are, however, ongoing disputes between PCS and G4S Security Company (G4S) and International Services System - Facilities Management Services (ISS) who provide facilities management services at some DBT offices and who are contracted by Government Property Agency. These staff are employees of either G4S or ISS, they are not normally employees of the department itself.

Whether (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in his Department have had discussions with representatives of Arden Strategies.

Details of Senior Officials’ and Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.Special Advisers are required to comply with the Special Adviser Code of Conduct at all times and are required to make declarations on meetings with senior media figures in line with published transparency guidance.Where a Special Adviser accompanies their Minister to an official meeting with a senior media figure, the Special Adviser’s attendance does not need to be separately recorded as the Minister will be the main attendee.Where an ‘informal’ lobbying approach is granted time or resource by Government, it should result in a diarised engagement and therefore be recorded.