To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department and its agencies are seconded to trade unions; what facilities are made available to them; how many days other staff of his Department and its agencies spent on trade union activity in the latest year for which figures are available; and what recent estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of such activity. (320610)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Royal Parks Agency do not have any employees seconded to trade unions.

Both DCMS and the Royal Parks provide facility time for local trade union officials.

The annual cost of trade union facility time for DCMS is up to £25,952.

The annual cost of trade union activity for the Royal Parks is up to £29,333.

There are no figures available for the number of days other staff spend on trade union activity. To obtain such information would incur a disproportionate cost.