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Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food;Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science;Meat Hygiene Service;Veterinary Laboratories Agency;Central Science Laboratory;Farming and Rural Conservation Agency

Answer

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. [76815] Mr. Morley: As a general rule, the core-Department, the Pesticides Safety Directorate and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate have agreed that staff will not be asked to work more than 48 hours per week over a 17 week reference period. Where any potential breaches of the Regulations are identified, managers have first been asked to determine whether it is feasible to reduce hours, adjust working patterns or re-design the job and only then to discuss the option of disapplying the 48 hour limit with staff. Compliance costs are not separately identifiable as they have been absorbed within existing budgets. Responsibility for the implementation of the Working Time Regulations 1998 within the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency, the Central Science Laboratory Agency, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, the Meat Hygiene Service Agency and the Centre for Environmental Fisheries and Aquaculture Agency rests with Agency Chief Executives and I have asked them to reply to the hon. Member direct. Letter from P. W. Greig-Smith to Mr. Andrew Tyrie, dated 26 March 1999: The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your question regarding the Working Time Directive. I am replying on behalf of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). We have a nil return. Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Andrew Tyrie, dated 26 March 1999: As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) your question to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food enquiring how many civil servants have been invited to waive the Working Time Directive to work less than 48 hours a week on 17 consecutive weeks; how many civil servants have refused to waive the requirement and what is the total cost of compliance with the Directive, has been passed to me to reply as regards this Executive Agency. The MHS is currently engaged in on-going discussions with UNISON (the union representing meat inspection staff) regarding the implementation of the terms of the Working Time Regulations. A joint MHS/UNISON groups is working towards a collective agreement on the parts of the regulations which are negotiable. This will include an opt-out agreement relating to the `48 hour limit'. I regret that I am unable to provide you with the information you request at this stage. I will forward this information to you as soon as an agreement has been reached. Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Andrew Tyrie, dated 26 March 1999: The Minister has asked me to respond to your question about the Working Time Directive. As a general rule VLA has agreed that staff will not be asked to work more than 48 hours per week over a 17 week reference period. Where any potential breaches of the Regulations are identified managers have been asked to determine whether it is feasible to reduce hours, adjust working patterns or re-design the job and only then to discuss the option of disapplying the 48 hour limit with staff. We are currently in the process of surveying staff and no individual agreements have yet been signed. Any compliance costs will not be separately identified as they will be absorbed within existing budgets. Letter from Professor P. I. Stanley to Mr. Andrew Tyrie, dated 26 March 1999: The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Central Science Laboratory (CSL), to your question concerning the Working Time Directive. As a matter of policy, CSL has agreed that staff will not be asked to work more than 48 hours per week over a 17 weeks reference period. No potential breaches of the Regulations have been identified, but should this arise managers have been asked to reorganise the workload. The costs of complying with the Regulations are not separately identifiable as they have been absorbed within existing budgets. Letter from Sarah Nason to Mr. Andrew Tyrie, dated 26 March 1999: The Minister has asked me to reply, in respect of the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA), to your question seeking the number of civil servants in his Department invited to waive the Working Time Directive requirement to work less than 48 hours a week on 17 consecutive weeks; how many of them have refused to waive the requirement; and what the total cost is of compliance with the Directive. The FRCA Management Board has agreed that, as a general rule, staff will not be asked to work more than 48 hours per week over a 17 week reference period. Where any potential breaches of the Regulations are identified, managers are being asked to determine whether it is feasible to reduce hours or adjust working patterns before discussing the option of disapplying the 48 hour limit with staff. To date, no individual agreements have been signed and no civil servants have refused to waive the requirement. Any compliance costs are not separately identifiable and have been absorbed within existing budgets.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

76815; 328 c452-3W

Session

1998-99

Subjects

Costs Civil servants EU law Government departments Working hours Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Contains statistics

Yes