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Ministers have been ordered to send their civil servants back to the office after it emerged that up to three-quarters of staff are still working from home.

The Telegraph reports that Jacob Rees-Mogg, the minister for government efficiency, has written to all secretaries of state to say they must send a "clear message" to officials about ending the work from home culture.

He has urged them to ensure that taxpayer-funded offices are at "full capacity".

Efforts to get civil servants back to the office have been hampered by unions pushing for further concessions on flexible working.

Mr Rees-Mogg wrote: "Now that we are learning to live with Covid and have lifted all legal restrictions in England, we must continue to accelerate the return of civil servants to office buildings to realise the benefits of face-to face, collaborative working and the wider benefits for the economy.

"To deliver this, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and I urge you to issue a clear message to civil servants in your department to ensure a rapid return to the office."

The UK has a number of offices in Scotland, where the government has continued to request that people work from home where they can.

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