Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
For all of offices except Darlington, we have a desk booking system which enables staff to reserve a desk prior to attending the office. However, it is a recommendation rather than a requirement for staff to reserve a space in advance. In the Darlington Economic Campus, staff book a space rather than a desk to attend the office and this is done in collaboration with the other Departments we share with.
ALBs operate at arm's length from the department and have the flexibility to determine their own workplace policies, including desk booking arrangements. The department does not collect this information centrally.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department, via the Government Property Agency as its asset manager, leases a total of thirteen sites, in multi-tenanted buildings, for use by its staff. There is no requirement for staff to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person. All the department’s arm length bodies, bar those classed as Executive Agencies, manage their own respective estates. They have advised that they do not require staff to book a desk in advance in order to attend any of their offices.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS staff are encouraged to book a desk to guarantee a work setting whilst working at our London HQ. Other non bookable work settings are also available for staff to use. Desk booking is not currently implemented at any other DCMS office location.
Desk booking services for arm’s length bodies within DCMS are not centrally held and would come at disproportionate cost to the department in producing this information.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Desk booking systems are in use at several DBT’s offices, including its London headquarters. Except for offices at Caxton House, London, it is not compulsory for people to book a desk for them to attend the office in person.
Arms length bodies have their own individual policies and procedures relating to desk booking.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department currently has a formal digital desk booking tool - in a limited number of locations - which allows colleagues to book a desk in advance of attending the office, if they wish to do so. However, there is no requirement for colleagues to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person. There is no formal desk booking tool in place at the remaining DWP locations.
The Department’s ALBs have their own procedures for booking a desk:
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There is an online booking tool for Core Defra and arm’s length bodies’ staff to use to book workspaces in advance at some office locations (including desks, meeting rooms, and collaboration spaces). It is not a requirement to have the online booking tool in place at all office locations.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Ministry of Justice staff are able to attend an office location without needing to book a desk. This includes our Department’s Arm’s Length Bodies. This approach does not apply to non-operational staff based in the operational estate, which has separate access conditions and processes, due to the security requirements of these sites.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Cabinet Office staff are encouraged to book desks, but it is not mandatory.
Similarly, of the Cabinet Office's arm's length bodies that directly employ their own staff, none mandate booking a desk in order to attend the office in person.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Desk booking is used at the Department’s offices but is not required for office attendance. There are workspaces which do not require booking.
Desk booking is required at certain Arm’s Length Bodies’ workplaces. Employees are asked to book desks prior to attending the office at the UK Health Security Agency, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the Human Tissue Authority, the Care Quality Commission, the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, and the Health Research Authority.
Desk booking is not required at the offices of NHS England, NHS Resolution, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and NHS Blood and Transplant. Desk booking at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the NHS Business Services Authority is required at some of their offices.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Civil servants who work in the Department’s office locations are asked to book a space to work from the office. In 12 buildings this is a booking for a specific desk, and in 3 buildings it is for an unspecified working space on a particular floor within the building.
Desk booking services for arm’s-length bodies within the Department are not centrally held, and would come at disproportionate cost to the Department in producing this information.