Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is his policy that the civil service should return to physical work from 19 July 2021; and what plans he has to reduce the potential transmission of covid-19 within departmental buildings.
Subject to a final decision on 12 July, the Prime Minister has set out the arrangements that will be in place in England once we move to Step Four. It will no longer be necessary for the government to instruct people to work from home and so employers, including the Civil Service, will be able to support the safe return to the workplace for staff who have, for many months now, been working remotely, and at the same time, support those Civil Servants who have been in the workplace throughout the pandemic. Work will also continue to support those Civil Servants in other parts of the United Kingdom.
Employers, including the Civil Service, will need to continue to take sensible precautions to reduce risk in the workplace and enable people to make informed decisions about how to manage the risk to themselves and others, including having a vaccination where they can, continuing with good hygiene practices and self-isolating if they have symptoms or have tested positive. These actions will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the risk of a resurgence which puts the NHS under unsustainable pressure.