Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to comply with principle (d) of schedule 1 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) designs work and workplaces to adapt to the needs of individuals. Our primary headquarters and hub locations offer flexible and ergonomic work environments, which should accommodate most individuals’ requirements at the standard level. DCMS has a comprehensive framework of guidance and process materials to ensure individuals who may have any additional requirements are fully supported. The department offers flexible working, in line with Hybrid Working guidance and our dedicated Workplace Adjustments team and HR colleagues strive to ensure that staff with additional needs are not disadvantaged and have appropriate workplace adjustments in place.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether an Access to Work scheme has been implemented in their Department.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Access to Work is a demand-led, personalised discretionary grant which contributes to the disability-related extra costs of working faced by disabled people and those with a health condition in the workplace that are beyond standard reasonable adjustments. It does not replace an employer’s duty under the Equality Act to make reasonable adjustments.
In 2006, DWP took over responsibility for providing adjustments that would previously have been funded through Access to Work, for civil servants working in their department. In April 2022, all government departments followed suit and assumed responsibility for providing such adjustments for their staff.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications of the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling in the 2017 case of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council v Willetts & Ors for the calculation of holiday pay entitlement for staff in her Department; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is aware of the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling and we are committed to ensuring fair and legally compliant statutory holiday payments. We are reviewing our policy and procedures to ensure that we are compliant with the ruling and expect the impact to be minimal, given there is minimal use of regular overtime within the department that is not remunerated through role specific allowances.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps their Department takes to comply with section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992; and if they will make a statement.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
There is a range of HR information which is published on GOV.UK and which is therefore publicly available.
In addition, DCMS meets regularly with our recognised Trade Unions (PCS and FDA) and presents and shares a range of information and data where it is appropriate and in line with privacy statements.
This helps to inform decision making through formal negotiation and meaningful consultation and engagement.
DCMS is therefore complying with section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and we always seek to work constructively with trade unions to reach fair and reasonable settlements.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if they will take steps to (a) publish an equality impact assessment and (b) consult with trade unions when proposing new HR policies for their Department; and if they will make a statement.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Whilst there is no legal requirement to publish equality impact assessments, DCMS fulfils its duty as an employer to consider how our policies or decisions affect people who are protected under the Equality Act. The Department conducts equality impact assessments when introducing new HR policy or making significant changes to existing policy. As part of our policy development process, DCMS engages with its Trade Unions and other stakeholders (such as employee networks) when developing new HR policies or making significant changes to existing policies.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has notified staff to (a) tell or (b) remind them that they can sell annual leave in the last four months.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS staff are not able to sell annual leave.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of employees in their Department are paid at the rate of the National Minimum Wage.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The total number of civil servants in DCMS, our executive agency BDUK and arms length bodies who employ civil servants (National Archive and Charity Commission) who are paid at the National Minimum Wage rate per hour is 0.
Within DCMS, the lowest full time equivalent salary in DCMS is £23,066, which equates to £11.94 per hour, and which is above the current National Living Wage rate of £9.50 per hour and the new rate of £10.42 from April 23.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure her Department complies with section 2.1.6 of the Civil Service Management Code; and whether that monitoring data gathered is shared with union representatives.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS routinely collects the data set out in section 2.1.6 of the Civil Service Management Code (CSMC) and uses it to inform the department’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy. There is no obligation to share this information with Trade Union representatives. However, DCMS regularly shares D&I data, equality impact assessments and other relevant information in order to support engagement and discussion with the unions on areas of policy. Detailed information on the Civil Service workforce is also collected and published centrally as part of the Annual Civil Service Employment Statistics.
DCMS’s D&I strategy is aligned to the new Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022-2025 which recognises our success and builds on this good work to encourage a broader range of people into the Civil Service to give depth to our understanding of contemporary society in the United Kingdom. It provides the necessary framing for diversity and inclusion activity in the Civil Service as part of our wider workforce strategy, and through that, how the Civil Service delivers for its people, the government and our citizens.
A link to the Civil Service statistics can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure her Department's compliance with section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department shares data and information as set out in section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, as appropriate, with our recognised Trade Unions.
The process for sharing this information is set by our Trade Union Partnership Agreement and upon requests from our trade union representatives. The information is used to support engagement, consultation and negotiation on appropriate areas of policy development and organisational change.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what human resources information their Department shares with trade unions on a regular basis.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS regularly shares HR information and data with our recognised trade unions to support negotiations for the Department’s annual pay award, this includes data related to pay, headcount, turnover and diversity & inclusion. The Department also regularly provides data and information on our annual People Survey results.
In addition, DCMS shares other HR information on an ad-hoc basis, relating to various policies and processes, upon request by trade unions and where their engagement is required.