Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2019 to Question 271325, for what reasons his Department does not offer a payroll deduction service to enable employees to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy does not currently have the facility to allow staff to join a credit union through payroll deductions. Staff can still make arrangements to contribute to a credit union via direct debit.

The Department is aware that other public sector organisations offer this facility. The Department is looking to continually develop the offer to staff in terms of financial wellbeing, and acknowledge that this could be an option in the future.

If the Department were to pursue this option, then a full and fair procurement exercise would be carried out in line with central guidance.