To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many civil servants in his Department have been invited to waive the Working Time Directive requirement to work less than 48 hours a week on 17 consecutive weeks; how many civil servants in his Department have refused to waive the requirement; and what is the total cost of compliance with the Directive. [76809]
As the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, for Trade and Industry, and for Education and Employment share responsibility for the Government Offices in England, this answer also covers the Government Offices.The following numbers of staff in DETR(C) and its Agencies, and in the Government Offices, have signed an agreement to disapply the 48 hour limit:
| Number of staff | |
| DETR(C) | 37 |
| Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency | 28 |
| Driving Standards Agency | 0 |
| Highways Agency | 10 |
| Maritime and Coastguard Agency | 1 |
| Planning Inspectorate | 1 |
| Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre | 49 |
| Vehicle Certification Agency | 0 |
| Vehicle Inspectorate | 0 |
| Government Office for the East of England | 0 |
| Government Office for the East Midlands | 3 |
| Government Office for London | 1 |
| Government Office for the North East | 0 |
| Government Office for the North West | 4 |
| Government Office for the South East | 3 |
| Government Office for the South West | 0 |
| Government Office for the West Midlands | 3 |
| Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber | 7 |
| 1 Currently ten staff are discussing whether there are sound operational reasons to sign a waiver | |
The standard terms and conditions of service for staff are well within the limits set by the Working Time Regulations 1998. The Regulations do not require employers to keep records of the number of workers who refuse to sign an opt-out agreement and therefore no central records have been kept. Compliance costs are not kept centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.