Written questions by Holden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 52687 on Pay: Publicity, which (a) publications, (b) channels and (c) sites paid-for advertising was undertaken on.

a). Publications: No paid advertising for this campaign ran in print publications.b). Channels: These were:o Online digital display advertisingo Digital online video (YouTube)o Social media (Snapchat, Meta - Facebook/Instagram, Reddit)o Radioo Out of home: train card panels in national rail/bus interiors, beermats in 1000 pubs and digital screens in gymso Paid search (Google)o Use of six digital influencers (Instagram/TikTok)c). Sites: Online digital display advertising is bought programmatically by audience, not by site, and it is thus not possible to provide details of the sites that users saw such advertising appearing on. In addition, advertising appeared on the social media and search sites listed in answer to part b) above.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 52687 on Pay: Publicity, which digital influencers were commissioned for the campaign; and how much was paid to each.

As part of the National Minimum and Living Wage Campaign, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) selected six digital influencers who could reach the campaign’s target audiences through their social media channels.We are unable to provide details of how much was paid to each person due to confidentiality provisions in the individual agreements. This used 3% of the total budget of the campaign.

How many full time equivalent permanent staff were assigned to work in the Office for Investment in June (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.

The number of staff (FTE) in the Office for Investment (OfI) was approximately 30. The target operating model for the expanded OfI, which launched on the 5th of June 2025, includes approximately 230 FTE (including overseas OfI representatives). This will be subject to revisions in line with Government policy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48551 on Trade Union Recognition, what criteria he will use to assess whether to lower the recognition threshold.

The Government will consider what criteria to assess whether to lower the recognition threshold in due course, including through the public consultation process.

Pursuant to the Answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47348 on Conditions of Employment, what comparative estimate he has made of the workload of the (a) Fair Work Agency and (b) existing bodies being merged into Fair Work Agency.

The Fair Work Agency will take over responsibility for the labour market enforcement currently undertaken by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and HMRC’s National Minimum Wage team. It will also, in time, take on enforcing additional rights such as holiday pay and sick pay. The specific legislation the Fair Work Agency will enforce is set out in Part 1 of Schedule 7 of the Employment Rights Bill.More detail will be provided around the details of how the Fair Work Agency will operate including workload and funding in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2025 to Question 50224, on Pay: Publicity, what the total cost is for Millions get a pay rise campaign; whether it was approved under communications spending controls; and what the cost was for the beer mats.

The 2025 National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage campaign is running until 31 May 2025 and is budgeted to cost up to £650,000. This was approved under Cabinet Office’s advertising, marketing and communications spending controls. The cost to advertise in pubs using beer mats was £35,580, which was approved at Official level.The 2024 campaign saw an increase in reach to eligible workers. However, recognition remained low, reinforcing the need for bolder, more engaging formats for the 2025 campaign, which expected to deliver an estimated 3.2 million impressions.It offered a unique opportunity to engage audiences in a social, high-dwell environment where financial conversations naturally occur. This setting encourages discussion and word-of-mouth sharing about rate changes and offers an effective nudge for audiences to "check their pay."

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2025 to Question 50224 on Pay: Publicity, if he will place a copy of the business case for the Millions got a pay rise campaign in the Library.

My department’s final stage impact assessment (IA) in respect of The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2025, was laid in draft before Parliament on 4 February and is available on GOV.UK. It provides the high-level rationale for the campaign, which is to increase awareness and understanding of the changes to the rates that came into effect on 1 April 2025. The campaign supports the policy objectives by minimising compliance costs and ensuring that the benefits are realised, including a direct pay rise for over 3 million workers. The Impact Assessment can be viewed here: The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2025 - Impact Assessment

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2025 to Question 50224 on Pay: Publicity, how his Department distributed the 500,000 beer mats to pubs.

For the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage awareness campaign, 500,000 beer mats were distributed to 1,000 pubs across the country. Distribution targeted areas with high concentrations of minimum and living wage workers, identified through HMRC underpayment complaint data and ONS data on pay. Our distribution partners delivered directly to selected venues in these priority locations to maximise campaign effectiveness and reaching those directly eligible for the increase in the wage and those who could share this important information with friends and family members.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2025 to Question 50224 on Pay: Publicity, which advertising channels were used to promote the Millions got a pay rise campaign.

The advertising channels used for the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage campaign include radio, community radio, paid search, online video, paid social, programmatic digital display, digital influencer activity, and out-of-home advertising such as bus and train advertising panels, gym advertising panels and hospitality environments. Our channels are planned and carefully considered to ensure we can reach the right audiences, including using the learnings from previous campaigns.

How much his Department has spent on services provided by Saatchi and Saatchi since July 2024; and for what purposes.

The Department has not spent any money with Saatchi and Saatchi since July 2024, nor does it have a contract for services with them.

Whether he plans to change the 21 employee threshold for the recognition of a trade union.

The exemption for small employers under the statutory recognition scheme where the workplace is comprised of less than 21 workers has been in place for many years. The government has no plans to change it.

With reference to the public awareness campaign entitled millions got a pay rise, (a) how many beer mats were (i) printed and (ii) distributed and (b) whether communications consultancies advised on the campaign.

My department is running an awareness campaign following the increase to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates on 1 April 2025, using several advertising channels to ensure workers are aware of the increase and know how to check their pay and avoid underpayment.This includes beer mat advertising, for which we have printed 500,000 beer mats, distributed to pubs, including in areas with higher reported underpayment complaints. My department’s media planning agency Wavemaker advised on the campaign.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 43474 on Business: Regulation, whether the target to reduce the cost of compliance will be net of the cost of regulation on (a) business and (b) the voluntary sector; and whether it will include local government regulation.

As the Prime Minister has committed to, the government will cut the administrative costs of regulation to business by 25% by the end of this Parliament. We will publish the approach to measuring these administrative costs in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 43474 on Business: Regulation, whether the target to reduce the cost of compliance includes the costs of assimilated EU law.

Assimilated law, formerly retained EU law, is domestic law. It was created by the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EUWA) and came into effect at the end of the United Kingdom’s post-Brexit transition period, on 31 December 2020. The government’s target to cut the administrative cost of regulation includes the administrative costs of assimilated law.

What his planned timetable is for publishing a consultation on lowering the proportional threshold for trade union recognition.

The Employment Rights Bill has a power that enables Ministers to bring forward secondary legislation to vary the trade union recognition application threshold from 10% to 2% trade union membership of the bargaining unit.No decision has yet been made by the Government as to whether or when to exercise this power. Therefore, there is no planned timetable for consulting on it at present.

With reference to section 2, action 1 of his Department's policy paper entitled New approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth, published on 17 March 2025, what methodology his Department plans to use to measure the monetary cost of regulation; and whether this is a (a) gross cost and (b) net cost offset by the benefits of regulation.

The government has committed to cut the administrative costs of regulation to business by 25% by the end of this Parliament. To do this, we must determine the cumulative administrative costs of regulation that businesses face, which has not been done for 15 years. By focusing on reducing administrative costs, we will ensure that regulations achieve their policy objectives in the most efficient way possible with the lowest possible costs to business.My department is working with others across Whitehall to determine the best approach to do this and will provide further updates in due course.

What the budget will be of the Fair Work Agency; and what the budget is of the (a) Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority, (b) Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and (c) Director of Labour Market Enforcement.

Establishing the Fair Work Agency will create a strong, recognisable single brand so individuals know where to go for help and lead to a more effective use of resources.We are working closely with partners to ensure that the Fair Work Agency will support employers, workers, and unions to get Britain moving forward.We are committed to ensuring that the Fair Work Agency is established on a sound finacial footing and operates effectively in fulfilling its mandate. Detailed annual budgets for the proposed Fair Work Agency are currently under development and will be communicated in due course.

What discussions Ministers in his Department had relating to Government business at Labour Party Conference in 2024; whether (a) meetings and (b) other engagement will be recorded in transparency returns; and whether all discussions relating to Government business were reported back to civil servants.

Meetings and engagements held in a political capacity are not declared in transparency returns. Those not held in a political capacity, including at the 2024 Labour Party Conference, can be found at Gov.uk between returns for July to September, and October to December, which will be published soon.

With reference to the written statement of 17 December 2024 on Progress towards a modern industrial strategy, HCWS319, if he will publish the declarations of interest of each member of the Strategic Advisory Council; and whether they include declarations of political interest.

All members of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council were appointed in line with the Cabinet Office’s Direct Ministerial Appointments guidance based on their broad range of skills and experience from across business, academic and trade unions to inform the Industrial Strategy. All conflicts and interests were declared in line with this appointments process to ensure these are appropriately managed. Direct Ministerial appointees are politically impartial in their roles and there is no requirement for conflicts to be made public under Cabinet Office guidance.

With reference to the consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime, published on 18 November 2024, whether the provisions on subscription contracts will apply to the (a) sale and (b) marketing of trade union membership.

The subscription regime will apply to contracts between a trader (a person acting for business purposes) and a consumer (an individual acting outside of their business) which have auto-renewal features and where the consumer receives goods, services or digital content from the trader in return for payment.Generally, individuals are likely to join a trade union for purposes solely to do with their trade or profession. Although there are variations, they are joining a collective of workers that will represent their interests at work. Unions are democratic organisations, controlled by members, allowing them to influence how their membership fees are used.