Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2020 to Question 34978 on Offshore Industry: North Sea, on what dates since 1 March 2020 (a) Ministers and (b) Officials in his Department discussed employment matters in the offshore oil and gas industry with trade unions in that industry.

The Oil and Gas Authority as the regulatory body for the UK’s upstream oil and gas industry meets during the year with trade union leaders and are in regular contact with them outside of these meetings.

BEIS Ministers and officials have had no direct meetings with trade unions on these issues since 1 March. However, I will be attending the virtual MER UK Forum on 11 June to which trade union leaders are also invited to participate. This forum allows for an open exchange of information on the challenges facing the industry and its workforce stemming from the COVID-19 crisis and the low oil price.