HC Deb 19 May 1999 vol 331 cc370-1W
Mr. Fearn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for new measures to reduce levels of sickness absence in the Prison Service(a) in the short-term and (b) in the long-term. [84390]

Mr. George Howarth

The Secretary of State has approved the proposal by the Director General of the Prison Service to set a new Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for reducing sickness absence within the Prison Service as part of the Annual Business Plan of the Service. This requires the Service not to exceed an average of 12.5 working days lost due to sickness in 1999–2000. This target takes account of an expected increase in recorded levels of sick absence due to improved recording practice.

The Prison Service have also published a new attendance strategy containing measures designed to reduce sickness absence within the Service by 20 per cent. by 2001 and by 30 per cent. by 2003 in line with targets set by the Cabinet Office in their inter-departmental strategy for reducing sickness absence across the public sector.

Mr. Fearn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his estimate of the annual cost to his Department of sickness absence in the Prison Service in each of the last five years; [84389]

(2) if he will make a statement on the reasons for changes in levels of sickness absence in the Prison Service over the past five years; [84414]

(3) what assessment his Department has made of levels of sickness absence in the Prison Service in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [84415]

Mr. George Howarth

The National Audit Office published a comprehensive report on managing sickness absence in the Prison Service on 30 April 1999.

This report analysed sickness absence data from the Home Office payroll system and concluded that Prison Service employees took, on average, 12.6 working days sickness absence in 1997–98 and similar rates in the previous three years. The report estimated that the salary and related cost of sickness absence in the Prison Service were between £56 and £62 million per year over this period.

No verified data are yet available for 1998–99.