To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what correspondence has been received from the trade unions representing staff in her Department on partial retirement; when her Department replied to this letter; and when her Department’s management will meet the unions to discuss partial retirement. (190930)

Trade unions initially wrote to the Human Resources Department in the centre Department about partial retirement on 3 December 2007. The centre Department responded to trade unions by e-mail on 12 February 2008 and wrote again on 28 February, following finalisation of the partial retirement policy and guidance by civil service pensions in mid-February. At present, there have been no meetings between trade unions and management in the centre Department. In the Department’s agencies, the Highways Agency met with trade unions on 12 February and a meeting is planned for mid-March with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Discussions in other agencies will happen as partial retirement processes are developed.