TRUSTPOLITICS
Written Question·Department for Business and Trade·UIN 190585

Zero Hours Contracts: Scotland

Tabled: 21 June 2023
Answered: 27 June 2023

Question

Ian Lavery

Labour — Blyth and Ashington

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions she has had with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) public bodies on the potential merits of changing procurement processes to reduce the use of zero-hour contracts in Scotland.

Answer

Kevin Hollinrake

Zero hours contracts are an important part of the UK’s flexible labour market, they are useful where there is not a constant demand for staff, allowing flexibility for both employers and individuals – like carers, people studying, or retirees. For this small group, a zero hours contract may be the type of contract which works best for them.

Research from CIPD found that 62% of zero hours contract workers are satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs, which is similar to the proportion of employees as a whole (66%) (2022).