Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 169 of the Home Office Annual report and accounts 2024-25, HC 1133, published in July 2025, and page 170 of the Home Office Annual report and accounts 2023-24, HC 184, published in July 2024, what was the business case for the increase (a) in trade union facility time from £1,134,980 in 2023-24 to £1,424,127 in 2024-25, and (b) to FTE numbers of 387 facility time staff; and whether ministers authorised the increase.

The number of Home Office employees elected/appointed to trade union representative positions is for individual trade unions to determine. Additionally, there is no requirement for ministers to authorise increases in the cost of facility time, but, in line with a facility time framework provided to Civil Service departments under the previous administration, if the cost of facility time were to exceed 0.1% of the paybill that would require Secretary of State approval. The cost of facility time in the Home Office in percentage terms was the same in 2024-25 as it was in 2023-24 (0.05%).