Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department are paid less than the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

My Department does not employ any staff earning less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

One of our agencies, the Planning Inspectorate, currently has two agency staff employed on a temporary basis earning above the National Living Wage but less than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. These staff will be paid the higher Living Wage Foundation rate after 12 weeks of employment.

Our other Executive Agency, the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, has no directly employed staff paid less than the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. On-site catering services are provided under an outsourced contract and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has no responsibility for the level of pay determined for those employed as part of this contract.

Cleaning services and security to buildings managed by the Department are provided under outsourced facilities management contracts. Outsourced staff servicing the Department’s buildings that are not in London are currently paid the minimum of the Living Wage Foundation Living Wage.

Cleaning services and security to the Department’s headquarters based in 2 Marsham Street are provided under a contract managed by the Home Office, as major occupiers of this particular site.