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.

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.