§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security 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. BurtNo. Fridays are treated no differently from any other working day. Full-time administrative staff in the Department work 37 hours a week outside London, 36 hours a week in London, in keeping with civil service-wide rules. Working patterns can vary, but consideration is always given to customers' views on the level of service provided.