Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP has existing arrangements with three of the UK’s leading credit unions: COMMSAVE, HEY (Hull and East Yorkshire) and VOYAGER.

The payroll savings scheme with credit unions is part of DWP’s wider financial wellbeing toolkit, which is readily available to all employees through the staff intranet, and is promoted as part of our wider wellbeing offer.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church will offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Marsha De Cordova

The National Church Institutions, in partnership with the Churches Mutual Credit Union, provide a facility for those on the central Church of England payroll to save or repay loans via payroll deduction. Currently, approximately 400 clergy and National Church Institutions' employees use this system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department’s financial wellbeing offer for its workforce includes access to a variety of advances including rental deposits and season ticket loans, as well as debt/budgeting advice and support through its Employee Assistance Programme.

The Department does not offer credit union membership via payroll deductions and has no current plans to introduce such arrangements. Of our executive agencies, only the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has a general payroll deduction facility which could be used for such a purpose and the UKHSA includes details on its Financial Wellbeing page as to where employees can find further information on credit unions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department’s financial wellbeing offer for its workforce includes access to a variety of advances including rental deposits and season ticket loans and budgeting advice. We have no current plans to introduce payroll deductions for Credit Union membership. Decisions for Arm’s Length Bodies are up to each organisation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG continually reviews the range of financial wellbeing support offered to our employees and does offer general payroll deduction facilities. Currently no specific credit union deduction arrangements are in place. Agency payroll operations are delegated to each individual organisation.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra does not offer a credit unions payroll deduction process to staff. Defra does operate a comprehensive employee benefit offering with access to retail discounts, savings, Cycle to Work schemes, dental and health wellbeing programmes, and has recently launched additional Financial Wellbeing products, accessible through payroll savings, the Government “Help to Save” scheme and access to more affordable borrowing solutions through our benefit partners.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111611, how many employees are employed by her Department and its agencies.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

Departments are required to publish quarterly, the latest of which was released on 16 December 2025. You are referred to Public sector employment - Office for National Statistics for the information you have requested which states that 11,720 people are employed across all the Law Officers Departments.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans she has for future independent oversight of UK Official Development Assistance spending.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 4 February in response to Question 109820.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has no such plans.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Minister for Women and Equalities departments and agencies do not offer payroll deductions to staff in order to join a credit union.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2026 to Question 111615, for what reason does her Department not have the facility to offer payroll deductions for employees who wish to join a credit union.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The DCMS employee benefits package is directly shaped by employee demand. At present, joining a credit union is not included in our provision as we haven’t seen a significant appetite or interest. There is no requirement for DCMS to provide a facility for payroll deductions for employees who wish to join a credit union.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration he has given to giving the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman oversight of property management companies.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 85213 on 4 November 2025.

Found: Letter dated 02/02/2026 from Dominic Cashman, Director, Authorisations, to Gareth Thomas MP regarding

Found: Letter dated 26/01/2026 from Sam Woods, Deputy Governor and CEO, Prudential Regulation Authority to Gareth Thomas