§ Julie MorganTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent action he has taken to encourage family-friendly working practices in the civil service with special reference to the weekly hours worked. [48829]
§ Mr. LeslieOver 14 per cent. of civil servants (some 60,000 staff) now work a flexible hours pattern.
Officials in the Cabinet Office have been working in partnership with Departments and consultants on work-life balance issues over the last 12 months.
Projects have been undertaken with the Inland Revenue and Department of Trade and Industry and guidance is being produced for Departments and agencies. These will address issues of particular concern to part-time staff in the Civil Service Diversity Survey:
'A Managers' Guide to Flexible Working'; and'A Compendium of Best Practice for Work Life Balance'.These guides are currently in working draft with Government Departments and will be available on the Cabinet Office Diversity website (www.diversity-whatworks.gov.uk) in autumn 2002.