§ The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander)The report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service 2002" prepared for the Cabinet Office by Aon Ltd. shows that the headline figure for the average level of sickness absence across the civil service in 2002 was 9.8 days per staff year. The report contains a comprehensive analysis of the 2002 figures by department/agency.
Departments have established Service Delivery Agreements, which contain their individual targets for reducing sickness absence. Overall, the Civil Service has a target to reduce sickness absence by 30 per cent. by 2003 against the 1998 baseline. The Cabinet Office is continuing to work with other departments and agencies as they take forward their plans to reduce sickness absence and meet their individual targets.
I have placed copies of the Aon report in the Libraries of both Houses.