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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has recused herself from discussions on the Birmingham City Council bin strike.

The Secretary of State, the department, and I have been in regular contact with Birmingham City Council since 31 March to support the Council’s efforts to clear the backlog of waste on the streets. However, any talks to settle the equal pay dispute are solely between the employer (Birmingham City Council) and trade union (Unite). The Government has rightly not been involved in these negotiations.