Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of flexible and hybrid working arrangements on workforce participation, productivity, and retention, particularly for parents, carers, disabled workers, and employees facing long commutes or high transport costs.

The Government recognises that flexible working helps people achieve a better work life balance, which can lead to happier, healthier and more productive employees. Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid working, can be particularly valuable for those with health conditions, caring responsibilities or significant travel-to-work requirements.

The post-implementation review of the 2014 flexible working reforms, which can be found on Gov.uk website, considers how access to flexibility has supported labour market participation among groups who face barriers to entering and staying in work. The Government will continue to monitor the impacts of recent and upcoming reforms to the flexible working framework.