A report says that only 36 civil servants were working from desks at a Scottish Government headquarters designed for about 2,000 people, despite First Minister John Swinney directing staff to spend fewer days working from home. The figures raise questions about how consistently the return-to-office policy is being followed and about the use of government office space.

The reported attendance figure relates to a snapshot at the headquarters, rather than the full Scottish civil service workforce. Swinney’s instruction forms part of a wider effort to increase office attendance after widespread home working became established during the pandemic, though hybrid working remains common across the public sector.