[holding answer 20 March 2014]<\/p>
The Department did not provide specific funding for staff to carry out trade union activities in 2011, 2012 or 2013.<\/p>
<\/p>
Information on the amount of paid time spent on trade union activities by staff who are union representatives has only been centrally recorded since November 2012. Between November 2012 and September 2013 our central records show that 1,345 paid days were spent by union representatives on such activities. These central records are based on returns submitted by union representatives to account for the time they have spent on their union roles. Information on the amount of paid time spent on trade union activities prior to November 2012 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.<\/p>
<\/p>
Since October 2013 the Department has not permitted members of staff elected as union representatives to be granted paid facility time for any trade union activities and in future will only grant paid facility time for such activities in exceptional circumstances and with approval from the Secretary of State. In line with our legal obligations members of staff elected as union representatives are able to request time away from their work to undertake trade union activities but any time off granted for this purpose will be unpaid.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4110", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Karen Bradley"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Staffordshire Moorlands"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Karen Bradley"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-25T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding her Department provided for staff to carry out trade union activities in each of the last three years; and how many days staff spent on those activities in those years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4086", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alun Cairns"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vale of Glamorgan"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alun Cairns"} ], "uin" : "191025"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/41648", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/41648/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
Year<\/p><\/td> | Facility time taken by Union Representatives (days)<\/p><\/td> | % of total working days<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
2011-12<\/p><\/td> | 17,219<\/p><\/td> | 0.09%<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
2012-13<\/p><\/td> | 15,409<\/p><\/td> | 0.08%<\/p><\/td><\/tr> |
2013-14<\/p><\/td> | 3,124<\/p><\/td> | 0.02%<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1528", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Mike Penning"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hemel Hempstead"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mike Penning"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-19T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding his Department provided for staff to carry out trade union activities in each of the last three years; and how many days staff spent on those activities in those years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4086", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alun Cairns"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vale of Glamorgan"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alun Cairns"} ], "uin" : "190698"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/40900", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/40900/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Prior to January 2013, the Cabinet Office did not differentiate between time spent on Trade Union Activities and time spent on Trade Union Duties in recording the usage of Trade Union Facility Time.<\/p> No Facility Time has been granted for Trade Union Activities since January 2013.<\/p> |