Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with businesses about the length of the reference period of the guaranteed hours provisions in the Employment Rights Act 2025 to protect access to flexible working.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

Ministers and officials have engaged extensively with business, trade unions and representative organisations on the zero hours measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025, including about the length of the reference period. We continue to meet regularly with business representative organisations and trade unions.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of delays in Civil Service pension administration by Capita on deferred members approaching retirement.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Cabinet Office awarded Capita the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme in November 2023 under the previous government. The current delays facing scheme members are entirely unacceptable, and this Government has taken firm action to resolve them through a clear recovery plan with strict delivery milestones. We have deployed additional resources to expedite priority cases, ensuring that serving and former staff receive the high standard of service they deserve. Regular progress updates remain available to members via the pension portal and Gov.uk.

We recognise the significant impact these delays have on deferred members’ ability to plan their financial future. Capita is under a firm mandate to restore full service delivery to standard contractual levels by the end of June 2026. We are actively exploring the use of all available commercial and contractual levers and continue to withhold milestone payments for missed transition deliverables. All options remain on the table if they fail to meet the June deadline.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of guaranteed hours provisions in the Employment Rights Act 2025 on access to entry-level employment and labour market flexibility.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The right to guaranteed hours will rebalance labour market flexibility so it works for both workers and employers.

The government is consulting on these measures, including key details such as the reference period, hours threshold, regularity requirements and exemptions. The consultation launched on 2 June 2026 and closes at 11:59pm on 25 August 2026. Consultation responses will be considered before finalising regulations and implementation.

The Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Act. This analysis shows that the effects on labour demand and labour market flexibility are expected to be limited.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of NHS access to weight loss medication on workforce participation and sickness absence.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department commissioned a rapid review with the Obesity Policy Research Unit in 2025 which found that overweight and obesity are associated with labour market outcomes such as sickness absence. Evidence indicates that individuals living with obesity take around four additional sick days per year compared to those of a healthy weight, contributing to an estimated £4.9 billion annual loss in workplace productivity from absenteeism alone.

However, the Department does not produce specific assessments of the impact of weight loss or access to weight loss medication on sickness absence or the potential savings to the economy from reductions in sickness absence associated with obesity treatment. The Government will continue to monitor emerging evidence to better understand the full benefits of these treatments, including through forthcoming studies in the United Kingdom examining the effects of weight loss medicines on health, employment and work-related outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential savings to the economy from reductions in sickness absence associated with effective treatment of obesity.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department commissioned a rapid review with the Obesity Policy Research Unit in 2025 which found that overweight and obesity are associated with labour market outcomes such as sickness absence. Evidence indicates that individuals living with obesity take around four additional sick days per year compared to those of a healthy weight, contributing to an estimated £4.9 billion annual loss in workplace productivity from absenteeism alone.

However, the Department does not produce specific assessments of the impact of weight loss or access to weight loss medication on sickness absence or the potential savings to the economy from reductions in sickness absence associated with obesity treatment. The Government will continue to monitor emerging evidence to better understand the full benefits of these treatments, including through forthcoming studies in the United Kingdom examining the effects of weight loss medicines on health, employment and work-related outcomes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between clinically significant weight loss and rates of sickness absence from work.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department commissioned a rapid review with the Obesity Policy Research Unit in 2025 which found that overweight and obesity are associated with labour market outcomes such as sickness absence. Evidence indicates that individuals living with obesity take around four additional sick days per year compared to those of a healthy weight, contributing to an estimated £4.9 billion annual loss in workplace productivity from absenteeism alone.

However, the Department does not produce specific assessments of the impact of weight loss or access to weight loss medication on sickness absence or the potential savings to the economy from reductions in sickness absence associated with obesity treatment. The Government will continue to monitor emerging evidence to better understand the full benefits of these treatments, including through forthcoming studies in the United Kingdom examining the effects of weight loss medicines on health, employment and work-related outcomes.

Found: Apologies were received from Baroness Wilcox of Newport, Baroness Stedman-Scott, and Lord Goddard of

Found: Lord Faulkner of Worcester Lord Goddard of Stockport Earl of Kinnoull Lord Mawson Baroness Stedman-Scott

Found: Lord Faulkner of Worcester Lord Goddard of Stockport Earl of Kinnoull Lord Mawson Baroness Stedman-Scott

Found: Apologies Apologies were received from Earl of Kinnoull, Lord Mawson, and Baroness Stedman-Scott.

Found: I would like to thank Baroness Stedman-Scott for highlighting issues around staff capacity, and I agree