The government in the UK has decided to ban civil servants from using Facebook, but they will be allowed access to Twitter and LinkedIn for work.

The civil servants can access Twitter and LinkedIn only for work related use. The decision follows a report by the Press Association (PA) which said that staff at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is allowed to access certain social networking sits only for work related reasons.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling said, "The department recognizes social media is a valuable tool for engaging with jobseekers and partners. All staff has access to LinkedIn and Twitter for business use and the department actively uses social networking to communicate with customers."

He also clarified that access to some sites including Facebook is banned on departmental computers. His comments were in response to a written Parliamentary question from East Dunbartonshire Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson.