§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the rate of(a) unpaid leave and (b) absence due to sickness was for UK Visas staff working (i) abroad and (ii) in the UK in each of the last five years. [109505]
§ Mr. RammellThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not centrally maintain records for unpaid leave. Statistics for leaves of absence through sickness for overseas staff do not specify the section of the Post in which the officer works. Collating both sets of figures would incur disproportionate cost.
Sickness figures for UK visas staff based in the UK on a calendar year bas is in line with normal government practice, are:
Days per officer 2002 5.88 2001 9.28 2000 9.52 1999 8.39 1998 No reliable figures held The FCO is committed to reducing sickness absence and we are on target to achieve our Service Delivery Agreement targets.