§ Mr. ChallenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage staff to work from home; and how many staff do so on a regular basis. [21830]
§ Ms BlearsThe Department has for some time had a flexible working patterns policy and actively encourages and supports its staff and managers to work flexibly. A range of flexible working patterns including part time working, job sharing and home working is available to staff by arrangement with their management.
The Department recognises the advantages that home working offers such as retention of valued and skilled staff who have domestic commitments, and a saving on travelling time and costs, and provides appropriate information technology equipment and a supportive personnel and management structure to enable staff to work from home.
The Department also sponsors a home working staff support group which comprises home workers and their managers.
As home working is an arrangement that staff and managers make locally we do not centrally record information on the numbers of staff that home work on a regular basis.