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Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade: Facilities Agreements

Asked by Charlie DewhirstConservativeDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 24012

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what was the total cost of facility time to the department in (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26; and what was the headcount number of facility time staff in each; how many were 100% facility time; and whether funding was provided for trade union activities in each of those years.

Answered by Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Trade union facility time for The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) predecessor department the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is published in DBT’s Annual Reports and Accounts for 2023-24 and 2024-25. For BIST’s other predecessor Department, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), facility time costs can be found here for 2023-24 and 2024-25. The reports include facility time costs, the number of relevant union officials, the percentage of working time spent on facility time, and information on trade union activities in facility time. Following the repeal of the publication requirements by the Employment Rights Act 2025, information for 2025-26 is not published and is not held centrally.

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