Jacob Rees-Mogg, the minister for government efficiency, has run into resistance in his efforts to cajole Whitehall’s civil servants back to their desks after the “work from home” (WFH) directive issued during the pandemic. It is coming not just from the officials and their union representatives but from within the Cabinet.

Nadine Dorries, the Culture Secretary, reportedly derided Mr Rees-Mogg’s approach as “Dickensian”. She added: “Why are we measuring bodies behind desks? Why aren’t we measuring productivity?” Ms Dorries was responding to a request from Mr Rees-Mogg that departmental ministers encourage staff into a “rapid return to the office”. He has apparently been leaving notes on the desks of absentees with the message: “I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon”.

Last week, he presented the Cabinet with figures showing that some departments were using as little as 25 per cent of office capacity in early April. Dave Penman, general secretary of the First Division Association union which represents senior civil servants, said Mr Rees-Mogg “simply does not understand how modern offices work”.

It is true that the move to more home working has been made easier by the expansion of virtual meeting platforms. Some employees, especially in the tech industry, need only access to a computer to do their job efficiently and their work can be carried out anywhere, even abroad. Those particularly enamoured of the WFH concept should not be surprised to find that their employers have concluded that “home” need not be in the UK nor their staff British.

But when it comes to delivering public services, this becomes increasingly problematic. This has been apparent with the fiasco at the DVLA with people waiting months for documents that only they can provide. High-level policy making also benefits from face-to-face contact, not remote discussion.

What is especially galling for those who have made their way back to the office is that the London weighting allowance continues to be paid to officials who no longer live or work in the capital. Why should the rest of us pay for this? The public sector is supposed to serve the people, not organise itself to benefit the staff’s “work-life balance” to the detriment of those who rely on services run by a state monopoly. Mr Rees-Mogg deserves the support of his Cabinet colleagues in his endeavours, not their brickbats.