§ Mr. GrocottTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many civil servants are employed in his Department; what are their average weekly working hours, and how many are(a) on flexitime, (b) on job sharing schemes, (c) on a four day working week or nine day fortnight and (d) able to retire with full pension rights at 60 years.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonOn 1 January 1988 there were 10,357 staff in post counting part-timers as half and excluding casuals and those working fewer than 10 hours a week.
Average weekly working hours of MAFF staff are not available. However, full-time pay is normally related to "conditioned hours" for non-industrial civil servants of 36 hours per week net of meal breaks in London and 37 hours outside.
The number of staff using the Ministry's flexible working hours scheme is not available. However, use of the scheme is open to all non-industrial civil servants up to and including grade 7 with limited exceptions such as travelling officers and those employed in small units which have to be staffed throughout the day.
Thirty staff are now sharing jobs and further plans are in hand.
Nineteen staff work a four-day week; none work a nine-day fortnight.
The only officers who can retire on full pension are those who have served 40 years or have bought added years to bring them up to 40 years. We estimate that over the past three years about 8 per cent. of awards at age 60 fell in this category.