HC Deb 21 June 2004 vol 422 c1207W
Mr. Tynan

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many employees in his Department have(a) signed a formal opt out from and (b) are exempt from the Working Time Directive; and how many employees in his Department have recorded hours, including any accruing on a flexitime basis, in excess of the maximum allowed under the Working Time Directive in the last month for which figures are available. [178362]

Mr. Alexander

338 staff, including 267 staff in the Cabinet Office's Executive Agencies, have signed a formal opt out form. No staff have been declared as exempt from the provisions of the Working Time Regulations. Local managers are responsible for monitoring and managing hours worked. However, this information is not collected centrally.

The Department is committed to reducing the number of staff who are required to work in excess of 48 hours per week (by adjusting working hours or redesigning jobs) to an absolute minimum commensurate with meeting our operational needs.