Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the increase in the National Living Wage announced by the Government on 31 December 2019, what discussions he is having with private sector companies undertaking facility management work for his Department to ensure that the cost of wage increases for their employees are not passed on to his Department.

Facility management services provided to the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales are undertaken by outsourced providers under Ministry of Justice contracts.

The Ministry of Justice requires all of its suppliers to comply with the legal minimum standards of pay as set out in the Government’s National Living Wage legislation.

Changes to the National Living Wage are covered by contractual change provisions within MoJ’s Facility Management (FM) contracts. As a result, the MoJ discuss with each of their FM service providers the potential impact of any such changes in order to assess the financial impact, taking into account the overall contractual terms and conditions.