HC Deb 08 March 1993 vol 220 cc378-9W
Mr. David Porter

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake a survey of all offices and agencies for which he has responsibility to ascertain to what extent staff supplying a service to the public are curtailing their work on a Friday afternoon earlier than other days of the week; and if he will make a statement on his policy on hours of staff working each week.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Staff work the number of hours specified in their conditions of service, but there is flexibility on how that is achieved. Where there is a direct service to the public—for example, in passport offices or in the public inquiry office of the immigration and nationality department—public counters and telephone bureaux are manned for the advertised hours. If my hon. Friend has encountered a specific problem, I should be glad to have details.