§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to offer teachers free flu injections; what estimate he has of the number of days off work which would be saved if such injections were available; and if he will make a statement. [60929]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeMy right hon. Friend is advised on this issue by the Department of Health which has issued specific recommendations about the risk groups who are offered annual influenza immunisation. He has no plans to offer teachers free flu injections outside the Department of Health recommendations and has made no estimate of the number of days off work that would be saved. He has asked the Local Government Association to survey Local Education Authorities on the extent of teacher sickness absence as part of the wider initiative on managing sickness absence in the public sector.