Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Employment Rights Act 2025’s provisions on access to the workplace will require changes to the guidance on trade union access to the building of the employer on strike days.
Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Employment Rights Act 2025’s provisions on access set out that trade union access cannot be used for the purposes of organising industrial action (70ZA(7) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992). Doing so would be considered a breach of the access agreement. However, the union could still be entitled to access a non-striking group of workers in the same workplace for any of the access purposes set out (section 70ZA (6) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992)), and in accordance with the access agreement.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Leong on 1 September (HL2203), does the Minister for Small Business and Enterprise physically attend departmental offices to undertake ministerial duties during periods of strike action by departmental civil servants or contractors.
Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to UIN HL2203 on 29 July 2026.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy on whether ministers in the Department for Business and Trade attend their department to undertake ministerial duties during periods of strike action by civil servants or contractors.
Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
Decisions about ministerial attendance at departmental offices are a matter for individual ministers, taking account of their official duties, operational requirements and the effective conduct of government business.