§ Mr. GrocottTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science 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.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe Department currently employs some 2,541 staff, including 477 in Her Majesty's Inspectorate. Conditioned hours are 41 a week in London and 42 a week elsewhere, including meal breaks.
There are 553 staff taking part in the flexible working hours arrangements in operation at the Department's Darlington office. Sixteen staff are currently job sharing.
Of the 131 staff employed part-time, 22 work the equivalent of a four-day week or nine-day fortnight.
All members of staff who complete at least five years (two years with effect from 1 April 1988) pensionable service are entitled to a pension on retirement at age 60. As such they all receive their individual full pension rights based on length of service and salary. Statistics are not 260W readily available on the number of staff who might complete the full 40 years pensionable service required to achieve the maximum level of pension entitlement.