This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Single man working'.


 
Army Secretariat 
Army Headquarters 
IDL 24 Blenheim Building 
Marlborough Lines 
Andover 
Hampshire, SP11 8HJ 
United Kingdom 
 
 
 
Ref: Army Sec 10/04/72537/090211 
E-mail: xxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xx 
Website:     www.army.mod.uk 
Mr R Galvin  
(request-197567-
11 March 2014 
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx) 
 
Dear Mr Galvin, 
 
Thank you for your email of 14 February 2014 requesting the following information: 
 
“I would like to request details about the shift pattern for the Military Provost Guard Service, I would 
be grateful if I could have a blank shift pattern (Typical) to include 12 months from January 2013 to 
January 2014 could it please include rest and training days.” 
 
I am treating your correspondence as a request for information under the Freedom of Information 
Act 2000.  
 
A search for the information has now been completed within the Ministry of Defence, and I can 
confirm that some information in scope of your request is held. There is no typical shift pattern as 
each site is responsible for creating its own based on the requirements of their particular site. They 
must, however, ensure that they comply with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) as 
follows: 
 
“Workers do not have to work longer than 48 hours a week, unless they choose to. As 
members of the Armed Services, MPGS soldiers are not permitted to choose to work longer 
than 48 hours a week on a regular basis. However, soldiers must work whatever hours 
ordered by the chain of command, providing that this practice does not become the norm. In 
order to comply with the EWTD, Site Commanders should take note of the following 
calculations:  
 
a.            EWTD is 48 hours per week calculated over a 26 week period, equalling 1248 
hours for the period. 
 
b.            Each MPGS shift is 12 hours and 26 minutes in duration including 
handover/takeover period. 
 
c.            MPGS minimum shift requirement is 155 per annum, totalling 963 hours and 
20 minutes per 26 week period. 
 
d.            MPGS soldiers should attend a 6 hour training session following a 4 shift 
period, which totals 116 hours and 15 minutes per 26 week period. 
 
e.            Based on this shift pattern, MPGS soldiers work 1079 hours and 35 minutes 
per 26 week period; this is 166 hours lower than the EWTD cap.” 
 

In addition, MPGS soldiers are typically brought in to work extra days in order to bring their hours 
up to the maximum allowed by the EWTD. This is carried out according to the week-by-week 
needs of the particular site.  
 
If you are not satisfied with this response or you wish to complain about any aspect of the handling 
of your request, then you should contact me in the first instance. If informal resolution is not 
possible and you are still dissatisfied then you may apply for an independent internal review by 
nd 
contacting the Deputy Chief Information Officer, 2 Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 
2HB (e-mail xxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xx ). Please note that any request for an internal review must be 
made within 40 working days of the date on which the attempt to reach informal resolution has 
come to an end.  
 
If you remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you may take your complaint to the 
Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. 
Please note that the Information Commissioner will not investigate your case until the MOD internal 
review process has been completed. Further details of the role and powers of the Information 
Commissioner can be found on the Commissioner's website, http://www.ico.gov.uk. 
 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
 
Army Secretariat