§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate the rates of absenteeism in his(a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, for (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97 and (iii) 1997–98 to date; and if he will make a statement. [26669]
§ Mr. Hoon[holding answer 5 February 1998]: Rates of sick absence in the Civil Service during the 1995 calendar year were contained in a report by OHSA Limited which the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster placed in the House Library on 24 June 1997, Official Report, column 419. For information in respect of the 1996 calendar year, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave on 10 February 1998, Official Report, column 116.
Similar information is not available for the 1997 calendar year but approximate figures of the percentage of working days lost through sick absence in the 1996–97 254W and 1997–98 financial years are given in the table. The information given for the Lord Chancellor's Department Headquarters (a) includes figures for those non-departmental bodies which are staffed entirely by departmental employees, and Associated Offices.
1996–97 1997–98 (a) Department 2.55 22.44 (b) Agencies Land Registry 4.42 12.98 Court Service 6.14 12.44 Public Trust Office 6.77 25.27 Northern Ireland Court Service 6.95 6.10 Public Record Office 4.60 4 (c) Non-departmental Legal Aid Board 2.3 3.2 Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct 2.4 2.9 1To September 1997. 2To December 1997. Notes:
1. Figures are presented as percentages.
2. Figures are based on average numbers of staff in post in the organisation for the period.