The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) supports the living wage and encourages businesses to pay it when it is affordable and not at the expense of jobs.

Our primary policy for supporting the low paid is the national minimum wage (NMW) which is carefully set at a level that maximises wages without damaging employment prospects. In order to raise living standards we are focused on increasing employment and cutting taxes by raising the personal allowance to £10,000 from April 2014 and will have taken 2.7 million people out of income tax altogether by 2014-15.

There are no direct BIS employees paid less than the living wage, either nationally or in London.

The Total Facilities Management (TFM) contract is with EC Harris who sub- contract operational delivery to Balfour Beatty Workplace (BBW). This operational delivery of FM services utilises a dedicated team of nearly 400 employees. There are currently 103 employees working under the London living wage (LLW) within London and the south east and 239 employees currently working under the national living wage across the national estate. BaxterStorey, who manage BIS catering, do not currently pay the LLW within the BIS estate.

However, on the basis of fairness and current affordability, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) has instructed the Department to raise the wages of the lowest paid contracted staff working at BIS premises across the UK. We hope to report progress with implementing this by spring 2014. This is part of BIS' overall policy to try to increase living standards for its lowest paid staff.

Zero hours contracts are not new, but since 2005, there has been an increase in their use. More recently Government has been made aware of, and taken note of, anecdotal evidence that has illustrated instances of abuse.

As a result the Secretary of State for BIS announced that his officials would undertake a fact finding exercise to explore how these contracts work and what the issues are. This was undertaken over the summer.

On 16 September 2013, the Secretary of State for BIS said he would publish a consultation seeking views on zero hour contracts and how to address the concerns raised in the summer fact finding exercise. The consultation will be published in mid November.

There are no direct BIS employees on zero hour contracts.

At present there is limited use of zero hour contracts with our service providers and these workers are permitted to work elsewhere.

I have approached the chief executives of the Department's Executive Agencies (Insolvency Service, Companies House, National Measurement Office, Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency, Ordnance Survey, Met Office, Land Registry and the Skills Funding Agency) and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.

Letter from Dr Vanessa Lawrence, dated 7 November 2013:

As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, "how many direct employees and contracted workers of his Department and its arms lengths bodies are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage; and how many direct employees are on zero hours contracts".

The answer is that all Ordnance Survey employees are paid above the living wage and we have no direct employees on zero hours contracts.

Letter from Ed Lester, dated 8 November 2013:

I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to Parliamentary Question 174969 tabled on 06 November 2013 which asked the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many direct employees and contracted workers of his Department and its arms lengths bodies are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage; and how many direct employees are on zero hours contracts.

Land Registry currently has no staff paid less than the living wage and no staff on zero hours contracts.

Letter from Tim Moss, dated 8 November 2013:

I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 6 November 2013, UIN 174969 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

All of Companies House's direct employees and contracted workers are paid in excess of the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage, and we have no direct employees on zero hour contracts.

Letter from John Alty, dated 8 November 2013:

I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 6 November 2013, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Intellectual Property Office is an Executive Agency and Trading Fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. It does not have any employees or contracted workers being paid less than the living wage. It does not have any direct employees on zero hour's contracts.

Letter from Kim Thorneywork, dated 7 November 2013:

Thank you for your question in asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many direct employees and contracted workers of his Department and its arms lengths bodies are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage; and how many direct employees are on zero hours contracts. (174969)

Please be advised that based on our October data the Skills Funding Agency has 1,299 employees in the organisation, which includes 32 apprentices.

None of the direct employees or the contracted workers of the Skills Funding Agency are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation, and the 32 apprentices are all paid above the National Minimum Wage, albeit below the level set by the Living Wage Foundation.

We have no staff on 0 hours contracts.

Letter from David Parker, dated 11 November 2013:

Thank you for your question to ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many direct employees and contracted workers of his Department and its arms lengths bodies are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage; and how many direct employees are on zero hours contracts.

The UK Space Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and supports the Living Wage and encourages businesses to pay it when it is affordable and not at the expense of jobs.

In line with our parent department, our primary policy for supporting the low paid is the National Minimum Wage which is carefully set at a level that maximises wages without damaging employment prospects. In order to raise living standards we are focused on increasing employment and cutting taxes.

On current terms, all permanently employed UK Space Agency staff are already paid above the living wage, either nationally or in London, as relevant.

There are no direct UK Space Agency employees on zero hour contracts.

Letter from Peter Mason, dated 13 November 2013:

I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office, an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 6 November 2013, asking how many direct employees and contracted workers are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage; and how many direct employees are on zero hours contracts.

With the exception of apprentices, this Agency does not have any direct employees or contracted workers paid less that the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.

We understand 'zero-hour contracts' to apply to individuals who can be called upon to support the business but who are not guaranteed work. The Agency does not employ staff on this basis. We do at times contract the supply of services from a limited number of contractors to deliver specialist requirements. The use of contractors is managed in accordance with BIS procurement procedures and is subject to regular review.

Letter from Dr Richard Judge, dated 14 November 2013:

The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, how many direct employees and contracted workers of his Department and its arms lengths bodies are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage; and how many direct employees are on zero hours contracts.

My response relates to the Insolvency Service, an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Insolvency Service currently has no employees who earn less than the living wage. There are presently 33 agency workers who earn less than the living wage. However, under the Agency Workers' Regulations, once the agency workers' assignments with the Insolvency Service reach 12 weeks' duration, they will be paid a rate greater than the living wage.

The Insolvency Service has no employees on zero hour contracts.

Letter from John Hirst, dated 11 November 2013:

I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 6 November 2013, UIN 174969 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

There are currently 5 employees at the Met Office on temporary placements who are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage. Paid placement opportunities at the Met Office are generally offered to interns who have just completed the first year of A* levels, current undergraduates or those who have completed their studies. There are no Met Office employees on zero hours contracts.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not employ any staff on zero-hour contracts.

Information relating to the Department's non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

I have approached the chief executives of the Department's executive agencies (Insolvency Service, Companies House, National Measurement Office, Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency, Ordnance Survey, Met Office, Land Registry and the Skills Funding Agency) and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.

Letter from Tim Moss:

I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 17 June 2013, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, UIN 160760.

Companies House has never employed any staff on zero-hour contracts.

Letter from Vanessa Lawrence CB, dated 18 June 2013:

As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to reply to you in response to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills “how many staff were retained on zero-hour contracts by (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13&”.

Ordnance Survey does not employ members of staff on zero-hour contracts.

I hope this information is of use.

Letter from John Hirst, dated 19 June 2013:

I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 17 June 2013, UIN 160760 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Met Office retained no staff on zero-hour contracts during the period in question.

I hope this helps.

Letter from David Parker, dated 18 June 2013:

Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills asking how many staff were retained on zero-hour contracts by (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

The UK Space Agency was established on 1 April 2011 and is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. It has employed no staff on zero-hour contracts during 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Letter from Ed Lester, dated 19 June 2013:

I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to Parliamentary Question 160760 tabled on 17 June 2013 which asked the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff were retained on zero-hour contracts by (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

I can confirm that in Land Registry we do not retain any staff on zero hour contracts.

I hope you find this information useful.

Letter from Peter Mason, dated 20 June 2013:

I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO), an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 17 June 2013, asking the BIS Secretary of State about the number of staff retained on zero-hour contracts.

NMO employs all staff on a permanent basis. There are however occasions when the recruitment of permanent staff cannot be justified, such as to resource a short-term project, at which point we utilise an approved framework of agency workers for periods of up to 11 months (currently we are utilising one agency worker).

We understand 'zero-hour contracts' to apply to individuals who can be called upon to support the business but who are not guaranteed work. NMO does not employ staff on this basis. We do at times contract the supply of services from a limited number of contractors to deliver specialist requirements. The use of contractors is managed in accordance with BIS procurement procedures and is subject to regular review.

Letter from John Alty, dated 20 June 2013:

I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 17th June 2013, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Intellectual Property Office did not retain any staff on zero-hour contracts during 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Letter from Kim Thorneywork, dated 24 June 2013:

Thank you for your question in asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff were retained on zero-hour contracts by (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13.

Please be advised that the Skills Funding Agency response on any retained staff on zero hours contracts for the periods are:

Letter from Dr Richard Judge, dated 20 June 2013:

The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, how many staff were retained on zero-hour contracts by (a) his Department and (b) the executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011 -12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has not retained any staff on zero hours contracts during 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13.