§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days' sick leave were taken by employees of(a) Customs and Excise and (b) the Inland Revenue in each year since 2000; and what the estimated cost was in each year. [165423]
§ Ruth Kelly[holding answer 20 April 2004]: The information is as follows:
(a) The number of sickness absence days taken by employees of Customs and Excise since 2000 are:
Calendar year Average working days sickness absence per staff year 2000 9.0 2001 8.7 2002 9.0 (b) The number of sickness absence days taken by employees of the Inland Revenue since 2000 are:
Calendar year Average working days sickness absence per staff 2000 10.9 2001 9.5 2002 10.5 Reliable information on the cost of sickness absence is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Statistical information for 2003 has not yet been published. Sickness absence targets for Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue are 1714W in the Government's science and innovation investment framework document, which will be published alongside the Spending Review this summer.