Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has held recent discussions with (a) Unite the Union and (b) other trade representative bodies on the welfare of bus drivers working on buses without air conditioning.

We have not had any recent discussions with representatives from Unite the Union or other trade representative bodies on the welfare of bus drivers working on buses without air conditioning.

The Health and Safety Executive has advised that employers (including bus companies) have a legal obligation under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to make a suitable assessment of the risks to the health and safety of workers and act where necessary to minimise those risks as far as reasonably practicable. This would include the risks from extreme weather events such as heatwaves. If workers have concerns about their working conditions, in the first instance, they should raise any issues with their employer or via worker representatives such as Trade Union Representatives.