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

To ask Her Majesty's Government why they plan to repeal legislation banning agency workers from covering those on strike; and what discussions they have had with recruitment agencies and organisations about this plan.

Employment businesses are currently prohibited, by regulation 7 of the Conduct Regulations, from introducing or supplying temporary agency workers to a hirer to cover striking workers. Employers can already bring in extra staff to cover striking workers if they hire them directly. This change would allow more flexibility for employers when dealing with a strike by allowing them to use agency staff to continue functioning to some extent.

It does not change the requirements for businesses to comply with wider health and safety rules that keep both employees and the public safe. Employers would still have a responsibility to ensure agency workers had all the necessary skills and/or qualifications to meet those obligations.