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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions officials of his Department have had with representatives from employer organisations on recent changes in advice to clinically extremely vulnerable people who are shielding with (a) arthritis and (b) other conditions.

Officials regularly meet with representatives from employer bodies and discussions have included recent changes in the advice to the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable.

More generally, BEIS leads for Government on the Safer Working Guidance. This sets out the steps employers can take to ensure that the workplace is secure for everyone. This guidance is updated as necessary following changes in public health advice. Individuals and organisations, including those with interest in specific conditions such as arthritis, are able to comment on the guidance through safer.workplaces@beis.gov.uk.