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Government Departments: Facilities Agreements

Asked by Mike WoodConservativeCabinet OfficeTabled Answered 1 December 2025UIN 93375

The question

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 30 October 2025, to Question 84251, on Government Departments: Facilities Agreements, whether government departments are required to inform the Cabinet Office if they permit trade unions to spend facility time on trade union activities, or otherwise make changes to their policy on permitted facility time.

Answered by Anna Turley

The existing Cabinet Office facility time framework, implemented under the previous administration and unchanged, does not require departments to inform the Cabinet Office if they permit paid time off to undertake activities, although this does require the agreement of their Secretary of State or Chief Executive. Departments do not need Cabinet Office approval to amend their own policies on the use of facility time.

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