Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) her Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to her Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps she plans to take to end each dispute.

The Public and Commercial Services trade union (PCS) had a mandate to call strike action between May and November 2024, PCS having notified the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government of a dispute over pay, pensions and jobs. That mandate expired with effect from 13 November 2024, no action has followed, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has not been notified of a further ballot.

Further to the outcome of a ballot in December, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members at HM Land Registry (HMLR) commenced Action Short of a Strike indefinitely on 21 January 2025. PCS has approximately 3,800 members in HMLR, out of a total headcount of approximately 7,000. The action consists of ‘’Work to rule, whereby members will not work longer than their contracted hours and will carry out only the work required by their contract’’. The action is in relation to a Trade Dispute regarding the issues of office attendance, use of individual performance data in performance management, and casework classification.

HMLR is confident it will be able to manage its essential services effectively during this period of Action Short of a Strike, as it has done during previous disputes.