Written question asked by James Cleverly (Conservative) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Jim McMahon (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 September 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Darlington

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2026, to Question 14979, on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Darlington, for what reason Darlington does not have a 60% office workplace expectation.

Answer: The Department does not currently apply a 60% workplace attendance expectation in Darlington due to office capacity and associated health and safety considerations. The Darlington office has 167 colleagues assigned to it, while 30 desks are contractually allocated for departmental use. Whilst colleagues may make use of other available workstations within the building, these are not guaranteed to be available. The current attendance expectation has therefore been set at a level that reflects the office's available capacity and ensures a safe working environment. The Department keeps attendance expectations under review and will consider changes where capacity permits.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 20247
Session: 2026-27
Related items: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Darlington
Tuesday, 14 July 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Remote working Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Darlington
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk