§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to assess the cost to the economy of a period of serious ill health of men and women(a) in full-time employment and (b) not in paid employment. [6079]
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§ Ms JowellNo such assessment has been made by the Department of Health. The Health and Safety Executive estimate that the total cost to the economy ofwork-related ill health was between £2 billion and £2.5 billion in 1990. The next updating of these costs by the Health and Safety Executive will be in 1998. The updating will cover costs for 1995–96, using the necessary data from the Labour Force Survey.