Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
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.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
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.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
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 other than Senior Civil Service were located outside London in each quarter from Q2 2020 to Q3 2023.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
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.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil service jobs previously based in Whitehall have been permanently relocated outside of London and the South East since 2019.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Since March 2020, over 16,000 roles have been relocated from London through the Places for Growth programme and 31% of UK-based SCS roles are now based outside London. Places for Growth aims to relocate 22,000 roles outside of London by 2027.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the Government's news story entitled Plan to move government roles out of Westminster brought forward and new headquarters unveiled published on 12 December 2023, how many and what proportion of civil servants proposed to move out of London by 2027 will be officials within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office working on matters relating to international development.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO is committing to its future in Scotland and moving into a building and location that will increase and enhance the size and career offer for our workforce. We are planning on increasing the size of our workforce to 1,500 roles in line with our Places for Growth commitments. Work is underway to identify which specific teams and functions will relocate, but it will include roles across the full range of FCDO's responsibilities and deliverables.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the terms and conditions of civil servant contracts initiated after the COVID-19 pandemic specify (1) a location of work, or (2) the amount of time that civil servants must be present in an office location.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Decisions on flexible working requests are made locally by departments, based on their business needs and delivery requirements. As departments are individual employers they set out their employees’ terms and conditions, including any flexible working policies.
Ministers are clear that civil servants should be in the workplace where needed to drive delivery and they should adhere to their contractual obligations. Workplace attendance has an important role in effective service delivery to the public.
To deliver value for the taxpayer means ensuring we maximise the use of the estate and proactively manage workplace attendance. Therefore, in addition to the thousands of civil servants working in such places as prisons, courts and our UK borders, office-based workers will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of working time in the workplace.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what their Departments policy is on Civil Servants in their Department working from home and receiving the London Weighting Allowance.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Cabinet Office does not have a London Weighting Allowance. Pay arrangements, including those for London, are delegated to each department. In the Cabinet Office, there are separate London and National pay ranges. An individual’s pay, paid as a salary, is determined by the location of their designated office, as set out in their contract.
Ministers and the senior leadership in the Cabinet Office are clear civil servants should be in the office where needed to drive delivery and to adhere to contractual obligations.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what their Departments policy is on Civil Servants in their Department working from home and receiving the London Weighting Allowance.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Department for Business and Trade’s workforce strategy to attract and retain diversity of talent includes the offer of flexible working arrangements. This includes hybrid working, which typically requires our people to spend on average 2-3 days in the office each week, with the remainder of their week working from home. London pay scales will apply if their office location is based in London. The department employs a small number of people who are on home working contracts, which are agreed in exceptional circumstances only.
London pay scales will apply if they are living in the London area.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Civil Servants in their Department who are working from home are receiving the London Weighting Allowance.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Flexible working arrangements enable Departments to make efficient use of resources and ensures that the Civil Service can attract and retain a diversity of talent.
Pay arrangements, including those for London, are delegated to each Civil Service Department. In the Department for Education there is no London Weighting Allowance. Instead, all staff are placed on either a National or London pay band, based on their contractual work location.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what their Departments policy is on Civil Servants in their Department working from home and receiving the London Weighting Allowance.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
London weighting is paid to staff who have a Permanent Duty Station (PDS) in London. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) operates two London Weighting allowances, for Inner and Outer London. Staff who are contractual home workers do not have a London PDS and are therefore ineligible for London Weighting.
Flexible working arrangements enable Departments to make efficient use of resources, and the offer also ensures the Civil Service can attract and retain a diversity of talent. “Future Workplace” is the MOD’s interpretation of the wider Government Smarter Working programme. As part of this approach MOD has developed hybrid working arrangements which typically require Civil Servants to spend 2-3 days in the office each week, and the option of 2-3 days working from home. This will be dependent upon the activity and outcomes to be delivered. All employees agree their working location with their local line management.
Details of Departmental headquarters’ occupancy are published on a regular basis and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-headquarters-occupancy-data
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what their Departments policy is on Civil Servants in their Department working from home and receiving the London Weighting Allowance.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office no longer pays a London Weighting Allowance to employees. Those employees whose contractual work location is within London are on a higher pay range than those working outside of London.
Pay arrangements, including those for London, are delegated to each department. Flexible working is also a fundamental element of the Civil Service employment offer which is consistent with other sectors.
Flexible working arrangements enable departments to make efficient use of resources, and the offer also ensures the Civil Service can attract and retain a diversity of talent.
As part of this approach departments have developed hybrid working arrangements which typically require Civil Servants to spend 2-3 days in the office each week, and the option of 2-3 days working from home. The majority of Civil Servants will be working on a hybrid basis, or be entirely based in the workplace.