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.

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:

• The Pensions Regulator (TPR)’s office has bookable and non-bookable desks, so while staff can book a desk ahead of time if they wish, it is not necessary to do so to attend the office.
• The majority of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE)’s offices have access to a desk booking service but it is not mandated to attend the office, and the use depends upon local arrangements.
• The Money and Pensions Service (MaPs) uses a desk booking system to enable effective use of the desk space in the office. There is flexibility around use of this system, with colleagues able to use available desks if they haven't booked in advance.
• The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) uses a desk booking system.
• Both the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) and the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) are advisory Arm’s Length Bodies sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and have no employees