Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason the tripartite approach of discussions involving trade unions and business groups was not followed for the consultation period of the Employment Rights Act, with specific reference to the consultation entitled 'Make Work Pay: trade union right of access'.

The Department for Business and Trade engaged with business groups and trade unions in developing the statutory framework for trade union right of access to workplaces, including through a public consultation on the operational details of the framework and a draft Code of Practice. Alongside these formal consultations, officials have held several roundtable discussions with both trade unions and industry groups.

This approach has enabled stakeholders to contribute to the design of the right of access framework. We will continue to engage with business groups and trade unions as we move towards implementation, including through tripartite discussions.