Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies are covered by TUPE regulations in each of the last three financial years.

In the FCO, Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE) are included as standard in commercial contracts. Clauses are excluded only if the specific contract does not require it and this is agreed between the parties. In the last three years, we are only aware of TUPE regulations being applicable in five major contracts (defined as those with a whole life cost of over £15m).

In the last three years, FCO Services are only aware of TUPE being active in four major contracts (defined as those with a value of more than £2m) , two of which have since expired.

TUPE has been included as a clause within an additional five major (>£2m) contracts accessed through Crown Commercial frameworks, two of which have since expired.

Since April 2014, one contract was procured for the British Council in the UK for catering, where TUPE regulations apply.