Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to encourage a reduction in remote working as part of their growth strategy.

Flexible working can lead to happier, healthier and more productive employees. This is good for workers and good for businesses.

Businesses can reject requests for remote working on business grounds, set out in legislation, including high costs or limited ability to meet customer demand.

Changes through the Employment Rights Act will encourage conversations between employers and employees about where flexibility might be possible.

In 2025, we published our modern Industrial Strategy which will support creating good jobs and higher incomes across the country, including £1.2 billion of additional investment in skills per year by 2028-29.