Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what consideration has been given to the potential impact of the Government's preference for an hours threshold within the range of 8 to 20 hours per week on those who do not fall in that range.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published its consultation to understand further the impacts that different options could have on employers and workers, and will publish further analysis in due course as we implement the measures.

We are consulting openly on a wide range of hours threshold options including the government preference of 8 to 20 hours per week and are seeking views on how different hours thresholds would impact all workers, including those who do not fall within this range, as well as any unintended consequences.

The evidence received will inform the policy to ensure the right works for everyone.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, which businesses his Department met with during the preparation of the consultation.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Ministers and officials have engaged extensively with business, trade unions and representative organisations on the zero hours measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025, informing the development of the consultation.

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published quarterly on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what estimate his Department has made of weekly earnings associated with guaranteed-hours thresholds of (a) 8, (b) 12, (c) 16 and (d) 20 hours per week; and whether those earnings are considered adequate to provide income security.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours is between 8 and 20 hours per week. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers while options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what his Department's definition is of an adequate baseline level of security and predictability in relation to the hours threshold.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours is between 8 and 20 hours per week. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers while options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, whether the Government has conducted an assessment of the impact of an hours threshold of 8-20 hours on workers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours is between 8 and 20 hours per week. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers while options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, whether the Government modelled the impact of a higher hours threshold than 20 hours per week.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours is between 8 and 20 hours per week. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers while options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, how many meetings with businesses his department had during the drafting of the consultation.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Ministers and officials have engaged extensively with business, trade unions and representative organisations on the zero hours measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025, informing the development of the consultation.

We have held over 17 meetings with businesses on these measures and over 11 meetings with trade unions, alongside wider engagement on Make Work Pay, and continue to meet regularly with business representative organisations and trade unions.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, whether his Department has assessed the likelihood of employers restructuring contracts in order to remain below any hours threshold adopted under the proposal.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course as we implement these measures.

Our consultation on zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, seeks to gather further insight on potential changes in employers’ behaviour in light of the measures.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what estimate his Department has made of the compliance costs to employers arising from thresholds of (a) 8, (b) 12, (c) 16, (d) 20 and (e) more than 20 guaranteed hours per week.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course as we implement these measures.

The government has published its consultation to understand further the impacts that different options could have on employers and workers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of people travelling abroad for medical treatment; what estimate he has made of the number of complications caused by overseas treatment requiring NHS care; and what estimate ha has made of the cost to the public purse in the most recent period for which data is available.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not have data on the number of people travelling abroad for medical treatment, of complications caused by overseas treatment, or of the overall costs to the National Health Service for treating complications from cosmetic procedures conducted overseas. We are exploring ways to improve our understanding of the scale of the cost to the NHS.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what assumptions were used in modelling worker take-up of guaranteed-hours contracts under different hours thresholds.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts of the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025, which sets out the analytical approach taken to assessing these measures.

The government has published its consultation to understand further the impacts that different options could have on employers and workers, and will publish further analysis in due course as we implement the measures.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve patient awareness of the potential risks of undergoing medical procedures overseas.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has recently updated guidance that advises anyone considering a procedure abroad to carefully research the treatment in question, the qualifications of their clinician, and the regulations that apply in any specific country.

The Department has also launched communications campaigns to encourage people to review the Government’s travel advice alongside relevant guidance from the National Health Service and other relevant professional bodies. By taking such steps before treatment, patients are able to make more informed decisions about treatments abroad, to help protect themselves and the NHS from any potential negative consequences of medical tourism.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to SAP scanning for amyloidosis diagnosis for NHS patients in England; and what steps he is taking to ensure such diagnostic testing is available where clinically required.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as amyloidosis, under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance the priorities of the framework, including getting a diagnosis faster.

SAP scintigraphy for amyloidosis in England is a specialised service provided nationally by the National Amyloidosis Centre at the Royal Free London, under a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) specials licence. The Department is aware that this service is currently paused while the MHRA undertakes a regulatory review, during which additional testing and assurance have been requested. The National Amyloidosis Centre is working with the MHRA to complete this work as quickly as possible with a view to restoring the service. During this period, clinicians are using alternative diagnostic pathways where clinically appropriate to support timely diagnosis and management of patients with suspected amyloidosis.

NHS England continues to monitor the position, including access and provision challenges arising from the pause, and will work to ensure that appropriate diagnostic testing is available to patients where clinically required.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of trends in the level of provision of SAP scanning for amyloidosis diagnosis for patients; and what assessment he has made of potential challenges to accessing this diagnostic test.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as amyloidosis, under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance the priorities of the framework, including getting a diagnosis faster.

SAP scintigraphy for amyloidosis in England is a specialised service provided nationally by the National Amyloidosis Centre at the Royal Free London, under a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) specials licence. The Department is aware that this service is currently paused while the MHRA undertakes a regulatory review, during which additional testing and assurance have been requested. The National Amyloidosis Centre is working with the MHRA to complete this work as quickly as possible with a view to restoring the service. During this period, clinicians are using alternative diagnostic pathways where clinically appropriate to support timely diagnosis and management of patients with suspected amyloidosis.

NHS England continues to monitor the position, including access and provision challenges arising from the pause, and will work to ensure that appropriate diagnostic testing is available to patients where clinically required.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, if he will set out the weighting applied to the costs and benefits to (a) workers and (b) employers when considering where to set the hours threshold.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government’s preference is to set the threshold within the range of 8 to 20 hours per week on the basis that options within this range are more likely to provide a favourable balance of costs and benefits.

We are consulting on the hours threshold and we encourage stakeholders to engage with the consultation which will run until 25 August 2026 so we can get the details right and ensure the new rights work for everyone.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what evidence was considered when assessing the level of guaranteed weekly hours at which workers can be considered to have a substantial degree of income security.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference is for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours to be between 8 and 20 hours per week, on the basis that options in this range are more likely to provide a favourable balance of costs and benefits. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers moving zero hours workers to contracts with a very low number of hours. We believe that options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right to guaranteed hours, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts on the wider jobs market.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, how many workers would be brought into scope of the right to guaranteed hours under thresholds of (a) 8, (b) 12, (c) 16, (d) 20, (e) 24 and (f) 30 guaranteed hours per week.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published its consultation on zero hours and similar contracts which will run until 25 August 2026, to understand further the impacts that different options could have on employers and workers.

We will publish further analysis in due course as we implement the measures.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what factors the government will consider when assessing the impact of each hours threshold option on workers with some guaranteed hours.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference is for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours to be between 8 and 20 hours per week, on the basis that options in this range are more likely to provide a favourable balance of costs and benefits. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers moving zero hours workers to contracts with a very low number of hours. We believe that options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right to guaranteed hours, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts on the wider jobs market.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what research papers, analytical reports and external evidence were relied upon in identifying the preferred range of 8 to 20 guaranteed hours per week.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference is for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours to be between 8 and 20 hours per week, on the basis that options in this range are more likely to provide a favourable balance of costs and benefits. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers moving zero hours workers to contracts with a very low number of hours. We believe that options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right to guaranteed hours, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts on the wider jobs market.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, for what reason his Department's preference is for an hours threshold within the range of 8 to 20 hours per week.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference is for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours to be between 8 and 20 hours per week, on the basis that options in this range are more likely to provide a favourable balance of costs and benefits. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers moving zero hours workers to contracts with a very low number of hours. We believe that options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right to guaranteed hours, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts on the wider jobs market.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of workplace lottery exemptions under the Gambling Act 2005 in enabling workplace sweepstakes associated with major sporting events in the context of increased remote and hybrid working.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Workplace lotteries and sweepstakes are a fun way of bringing people together to enjoy and engage with major sporting events.

We are aware that the legislation, as drafted, is arguably now somewhat out of date given the context of increased remote and hybrid working. We will look to amend it at the earliest opportunity, but in the meantime, we would encourage the spirit of the legislation to be adhered to.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, how many meetings with businesses his Department had when concluding the Government’s preference is to set the threshold within 8 to 20 hours per week.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Ministers and officials have engaged extensively with business, trade unions and representative organisations on the zero hours measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025, informing the development of the consultation.

We have held over 13 individual meetings and more than 6 roundtables with businesses on these measures. We have held over 11 individual meetings and more than 4 roundtables with trade unions alongside wider engagement on Make Work Pay. We continue to meet regularly with business representative organisations and trade unions.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what is the evidential basis for the Government's preference for an hours threshold within the range of 8 to 20 hours per week.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference is for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours to be between 8 and 20 hours per week, on the basis that options in this range are more likely to provide a favourable balance of costs and benefits. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers moving zero hours workers to contracts with a very low number of hours. We believe that options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right to guaranteed hours, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what definition his Department uses of "income security" for the purpose of determining an hours threshold.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Our focus is on giving income security to people who do not have it: particularly those with zero hours and similar contracts, who lack security and predictability.

The government’s preference is for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours to be between 8 and 20 hours per week, on the basis that options in this range are more likely to provide a favourable balance of costs and benefits. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers moving zero hours workers to contracts with a very low number of hours. We believe that options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right to guaranteed hours, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what is the evidential basis for the Government's preference for those with more than 20 guaranteed hours falling outside the scope of the proposed right.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts from the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025 and will publish further analysis in due course.

The government’s preference for the hours threshold for the right to guaranteed hours is between 8 and 20 hours per week. A baseline of 8 hours per week mitigates against potential avoidance behaviour of employers while options up to 20 hours per week would be more likely to ensure that workers experiencing one-sided flexibility benefited from the right, while balancing the need to be proportionate in the costs to employers and the potential for unintended impacts.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, whether his Department has estimated the number of workers who would be excluded from the right to guaranteed hours under thresholds of (a) 8, (b) 12, (c) 16, (d) 20 and (e) more than 20 guaranteed hours per week.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 8243 on 15 June 2026.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what meetings he had with businesses when determining how to maintain business flexibility.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 7811 on 8 June 2026.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation document entitled Make Work Pay: ending one-sided flexibility – reforms of zero hours and similar contracts, published on 2 June 2026, what cost-benefit analysis his Department has undertaken comparing thresholds of 8, 12, 16, 20 and more than 20 guaranteed hours per week; and if he will publish the results of that analysis.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 7810 on 12 June 2026.

Found: ; Mary Kelly Foy; Gurinder Singh Josan; Mr Tom Morrison; Katrina Murray; Kenneth Stevenson; Michael Wheeler