§ Mr. TynanTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many employees in the Department have(a) signed a formal opt out from and (b) are exempt from the Working Time Directive; and how many employees in his Department have recorded hours, including any accruing on a flexitime basis, in excess of the maximum allowed under the Working Time Directive in the last month for which figures are available. [178361]
§ Mr. LammyManagers in my Department are required to obtain a written agreement if an employee chooses to work more than the 48 hour average weekly limit. This information is held locally and is not readily available. I will write to the hon. member as soon as the information is available. There are currently no staff employed who are exempt from the Working Time Directive. Working hours, including those accruing on a flexitime basis, are monitored by line managers locally and no central figures are available. Managers are instructed to monitor hours closely if staff work close to or over 48 hours per week to ensure compliance with the Regulations. The Department is fully committed to reducing the number of employees required to work in excess of 48 hours per week commensurate with operational needs. It does so by adjusting working hours and redesigning jobs in order to keep such posts to an absolute minimum and the policy is kept under regular review.