§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Solicitor General what assessment she has made of the impact of the Part-time Workers Directive on staff in the Department. [109282]
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 28 April 2003]The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate currently have no part-time staff.
The Crown Prosecution Service complies with the Part-Time Workers Directive by ensuring that part-time workers are not treated less favourably than full-time workers, and that staff at all levels are able to apply to work part-time. In addition to part-time work, other 133W complementary schemes such as job-sharing, part-year working and compressed hours are available to staff at all levels.
The Serious Fraud Office has a very small number of employees who work less than full-time hours—part-time staff make up less than 3 per cent. of the total number of employees. The Part-time Workers Directive has therefore had a minimal impact on this Department.
Part-time staff enjoy the same terms and conditions of employment as their full-time equivalents. Salary, together with entitlement to annual leave and public and privilege holidays, are calculated on a pro-rata basis. Access to training, development and promotion opportunities are afforded to part-time staff in the same way as for full- time members of staff.
As at 1 April 2003 there were 44 part-time employees in the Treasury Solicitor"s Department representing 6.8 per cent. of total staff in post.
Jobs in the Treasury Solicitor"s Department are advertised on the basis that they will be open to part-time workers, unless otherwise stated due to the nature of the work. The impact on business terms should therefore be minimal but in terms of staff satisfaction should be beneficial.