§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education 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. BoswellStaff in the Department work a total of 41 hours each week in London and 42 hours in Darlington at times designed to enable the office to fulfil its service to the public and to its Ministers. There is no significant difference in hours of attendance between Fridays and other weekdays.
Staff in the Teachers' Pensions Agency are conditioned to 42 hours. The agency has made public in the charterline the hours in which it is open for business. These are 8.30 am to 5 pm on Mondays to Thursdays, and 8.30 am to 4.30 pm on Fridays.
My right hon. Friend is proud of the record of officers in the Department, many of whom voluntarily work long hours to carry out his policies.
Hours of attendance in non-departmental public bodies are a matter for the individual body.