Steve Barclay, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, wrote to the permanent secretary of every department at the end of January saying that government departments should “lead the way” in getting people back to the office.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We do obviously want government offices to be at full capacity. We want government offices which are paid for by the taxpayers to be at capacity level. We want desks to be fully used, and we know that all departments are working to achieve that. 

“We recognise that flexible working will play a role, but it’s right that we make best use of space. We want departments to return to the occupancy levels that they had pre-pandemic.”

‘No need to be in the office day in, day out’

However, Lucille Thirlby, the assistant general secretary of the First Division Association, which represents senior civil servants, said that ministers should not be “interfering” with the working patterns of civil servants.

She said there is no need to be in the office “day in, day out”, unless it is a role that specifically requires it.

“If they are still delivering the work of the department, the minister and the government of the day, why does it matter where people work from? Why does that concern ministers?” she said.

Civil service unions have previously criticised government demands for a return to the workplace, saying they would “not be taking lectures on hard work” from people “whose definition of a work event appears to involve cheese, wine and a garden”.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: “There is already support in place for many civilian staff to work flexibly, including shared parental leave, job sharing and part-time employment opportunities. Due to the nature of our work, this is not possible for all roles.”