Working Conditions and Practices (Hansard, 11 April 2002)

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department. [41010]

Mr. Murphy
Job sharing is only one of a number of alternative and flexible working patterns that staff at the Wales Office are welcome to take up. The flexibility of the pattern is decided in consultation with management to suit an individual's need and the needs of their work.
At the present time the Wales Office has eight staff out of 40 who work a flexible pattern, none of these job-share.

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are(a) job sharing, (b) term working and (c) engaged in another form of flexible working. [42416]

Mr. Murphy
At the present time the Wales Office does not have any job share or term working staff. However, out of the 40 staff at the Wales Office eight enjoy alternative and flexible working patterns.

§ Dr. Tonge
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members of staff were employed by the Wales Office on secondment from non-Governmental organisations in(a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [45221]

Mr. Murphy
One staff member was seconded to the Wales Office from a non-Governmental organisation in the year 2001. There were none in 1999 or 2000.

§ Dr. Cable
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [35936]

Mr. Murphy
Work related stress has only been separately identified as a cause of absence for the last six months. During this period there is no record of any member of Wales Office staff having been absent for work related stress.
523W
Wales Office staff have available to them the resources of the Assembly in tackling stress. These include a new draft policy on stress and will shortly include a Health, Safety and Welfare intranet site providing guidance on stress at work, including details of stress awareness training.