Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library copies of the sections of the Modernisation of Office Environment project business cases that refer to consultation with trades union health and safety representatives; and if he will make an assessment of the project's compliance with the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977.

The business case for the modernisation of Great Minster House does not refer to consultation with the trades union health and safety representatives.

The Department’s assessment is that the modernisation project complies with the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977. Officials in the Department have maintained an open dialogue with representatives of departmental trades unions on matters relating to the Modernising our Working Environment (MoWE) programme, and have invited representatives from departmental trades unions to join a number of informal steering groups relating to the programme.

At the request of the trades unions Departmental officials have kept them informed of progress through written communications on 6 October 2017 and 12 January 2018. On 30 April 2018 and 6 July 2018 representatives from departmental trades unions were invited to carry out a pre-inspection of Windsor House prior to the move of DfT staff into the building. Officials will provide a further update to the trades unions at key stages in the programme and the unions will be invited to comment.