Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what their Departments policy is on Civil Servants in their Department working from home and receiving the London Weighting Allowance.

In line with current policy, pay reflects where an employee is based.

Eligibility for the London pay range is linked to an individual’s job role needing to be based in a defined London office location.

Flexible working is a fundamental element of the Defra employment offer which is consistent with other sectors. Flexible working arrangements enable the department to make efficient use of resources, and the offer also ensures we attract and retain a diversity of talent. As part of this approach we have developed hybrid working arrangements which require employees to spend 2-3 days in the office each week, and the option of 2-3 days working from home. The majority of employees are working on a hybrid basis, or are entirely based in the workplace.