§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what are the figures for(a) the public sector, including local authorities, grant-maintained schools and NHS trusts and (b) the private sector for days lost due to absence from work through sickness, expressed as a number of days per employee in each sector in the most recent available year. [59584]
§ Mr. KilfoyleInformation about the average number of days lost per employee due to absence through sickness in the public and private sectors is not collected centrally. However, the Office for National Statistics estimate from the Labour Force Survey that in the United Kingdom 5.5 per cent. of public sector employees and 4.4 per cent. of private sector employees were absent from work due to sickness or injury for at least one day in an average week between autumn 1997 and summer 1998.