Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of full-time equivalent civil service roles were located outside London in each quarter from Q2 2020 to Q3 2023.
Information on the number of roles, including those vacant, is not available centrally. Only the number of employees ‘in post’ is available.
The number and proportion of full-time equivalent civil servants employed and located in London and outside London between Q1 (March) 2020 and Q3 (September) 2023 is available in Table 1 below, and the number excluding ‘SCS level’ employees can be found in Table 2 below. This data refers to the number of employees ‘in post’ at each reference date. Information for Q2 (June) 2020 is not centrally available. Data has, therefore, been provided for Q1 (March) and Q3 (September) 2020.
Table 1: Number of Civil Servants in London and Outside London, Q1 (Mar) 2020 to Q3 (Sep) 2023
Period | London (FTE) | Outside London (FTE) | Location not reported/ Known (FTE) | Total (FTE) | % FTE Outside London (where location known) |
Q1 (Mar) 2020 | 87,815 | 332,525 | 3,430 | 423,775 | 79.1% |
Q3 (Sep) 2020 | 89,680 | 335,665 | 5,445 | 430,785 | 78.9% |
Q4 (Dec) 2020 | 95,460 | 342,480 | 3,465 | 441,405 | 78.2% |
Q1 (Mar) 2021 | 98,000 | 351,185 | 3,645 | 452,830 | 78.2% |
Q2 (Jun) 2021 | 99,550 | 355,210 | 10,260 | 465,015 | 78.1% |
Q3 (Sep) 2021 | 100,015 | 362,635 | 9,880 | 472,530 | 78.4% |
Q4 (Dec) 2021 | 101,840 | 369,550 | 4,085 | 475,475 | 78.4% |
Q1 (Mar) 2022 | 100,955 | 373,895 | 3,235 | 478,085 | 78.7% |
Q2 (Jun) 2022 | 100,130 | 375,215 | 3,235 | 478,580 | 78.9% |
Q3 (Sep) 2022 | 99,800 | 378,160 | 2,950 | 480,915 | 79.1% |
Q4 (Dec) 2022 | 100,230 | 380,550 | 2,825 | 483,610 | 79.2% |
Q1 (Mar) 2023 | 99,790 | 385,220 | 2,660 | 487,665 | 79.4% |
Q2 (Jun) 2023 | 99,405 | 387,500 | 2,505 | 489,410 | 79.6% |
Q3 (Sep) 2023 | 100.570 | 392,955 | 2,585 | 496,110 | 79.6% |
Sources and notes:
March 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023: Annual Civil Service Employment Survey, Cabinet Office
September/December/June 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023: Quarterly Location Survey, Cabinet Office
Figures include where grade is unknown/unreported
Outside London includes civil servants located overseas.
The increase in unreported location at Q2 and Q3 2021 is mainly attributable to around 7,000 Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) staff being transferred into MOJ (HMPPS) in late June 2021, with the majority being reported with an unknown location at Q2 and Q3 2021.
Table 2: Number of Civil Servants (excluding SCS level) in London and Outside London, Q1 (Mar) 2020 to Q3 (Sep) 2023
Period | London (FTE) | Outside London (FTE) | Location not reported/ Known (FTE) | Total (FTE) | % FTE Outside London (where location known) |
Q1 (Mar) 2020 | 83,810 | 330,320 | 3,415 | 417,545 | 79.8% |
Q3 (Sep) 2020 | 85,585 | 333,510 | 5,165 | 424,255 | 79.6% |
Q4 (Dec) 2020 | 91,065 | 340,075 | 3,450 | 434,590 | 78.9% |
Q1 (Mar) 2021 | 93,475 | 348,680 | 3,620 | 445,775 | 78.9% |
Q2 (Jun) 2021 | 95,185 | 352,810 | 10,240 | 458,235 | 78.8% |
Q3 (Sep) 2021 | 95,630 | 360,130 | 9,850 | 465,610 | 79.0% |
Q4 (Dec) 2021 | 97,445 | 366.765 | 4,045 | 468,250 | 79.0% |
Q1 (Mar) 2022 | 96,625 | 371,250 | 3,215 | 471,090 | 79.3% |
Q2 (Jun) 2022 | 95,840 | 372,525 | 3,210 | 471,580 | 79.5% |
Q3 (Sep) 2022 | 95,355 | 375,315 | 2,925 | 473,600 | 79.7% |
Q4 (Dec) 2022 | 96,000 | 377,780 | 2,810 | 476,590 | 79.7% |
Q1 (Mar) 2023 | 95,530 | 382,355 | 2,645 | 480,525 | 80.0% |
Q2 (Jun) 2023 | 95,200 | 384,615 | 2,490 | 482,305 | 80.2% |
Q3 (Sep) 2023 | 96,335 | 390,070 | 2,570 | 488,980 | 80.2% |
Sources and notes:
March 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023: Annual Civil Service Employment Survey, Cabinet Office
September/December/June 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023: Quarterly Location Survey, Cabinet Office
Figures include where grade is unknown/unreported.
Outside London includes civil servants located overseas.
The increase in unreported location at Q2 and Q3 2021 is mainly attributable to around 7,000 Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) staff being transferred into MOJ (HMPPS) in late June 2021 and with the majority of them not being reported with a known location at Q2 and Q3 2021.