§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to combat sickness absenteeism in(a) the UK Passport Agency, (b) the Prison Service and (c) the Home Office.
§ Mr. HowardThe Home Office has procedures in place to record and monitor absence through sickness. Steps have recently been taken to reinforce line managers' responsibilities in this area. Where levels of absence through sickness give cause for concern specialist medical advice may be sought. There is also an occupational304W health care programme for staff and access to the welfare service.
The UK Passport Agency has a policy on health care and absence caused by sickness which aims, where possible, to prevent absence through sickness and thereby to increase efficiency and promote the well-being of staff. This is achieved by monitoring of absence through sickness by line managers, ensuring that staff have access to counselling, an on-going health care programme, seminars/awareness training for line managers and the issuing of guidance/information to all staff.
The control of absence through sickness in the Prison Service is the responsibility of local managers, and following a report by an independent consultant, comprehensive guidance was issued to them in 1992. In addition, the service is seeking ways to enable quicker decisions to be taken on medical retirement, where that is appropriate; and various occupational health initiatives have been taken to encourage healthy practices, such as life style screening and health education seminars.
In all areas of the Home Office, absence through sickness may lead to retirement on medical grounds or action being taken under the inefficiency procedures.