§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will introduce annual fitness tests for police officers; [45656]
(2) what research he has evaluated into the cost to police authorities of police officers being unavailable for duty due to illness related to a lack of physical fitness. [45657]
§ Mr. MichaelAnnual fitness tests and the monitoring of sickness absence are matters for individual chief police officers to consider. Many forces do require officers in specialists units, such as firearms units, to undertake regular fitness tests. The Home Office has not undertaken any work as to the causes of sickness absence due to a lack of physical fitness, but has issued police forces with advice on the management of sickness absence, together with training booklets for managers in the police service to try to improve sickness levels amongst police officers. Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary has carried out a thematic inspection of sickness in the police service, and has made a number of recommendations for improving the way in which sickness absence and ill health retirement are dealt with. A copy of the report is in the Library. One of the report's recommendations is that all forces should calculate the cost of their sickness absence to a common formula, a format for which is provided in the report.
296WWe will be collecting information from all forces on the way they have responded to that report, and will ask them to provide information on local practice in respect of regular fitness tests.