HC Deb 18 July 2000 vol 354 cc167-8W
Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress made by police forces since 1997 in reducing sick days per officer; and if he will make a statement. [130714]

Budget requirements (£ million) Increase in net budget requirements (£ million) Increase in net budget requirements (percentage)
2001–01 net 1999–2000 net 2000–01 2000–01
Shire force authorities
Avon and Somerset police 181.2 173.3 7.9 4.5
Bedfordshire police 66.8 63.4 3.4 5.3
Cambridgeshire police 79.5 75.2 4.3 5.8
Cheshire police 115.1 111.1 4.0 3.6
Cleveland police 86.5 83.3 3.2 3.8
Cumbria police 67.4 64.5 2.9 4.5
Derbyshire police 111.1 106.5 4.6 4.3
Devon and Cornwall police 182.4 175.9 6.5 3.7
Dorset police 81.0 77.4 3.6 4.6
Durham police 84.0 81.3 2.7 3.4
Essex police1 183.1 169.5 13.6 8.1
Gloucestershire police 68.6 66.0 2.6 3.9
Hampshire police 204.7 196.5 8.2 4.1
Hertfordshire police1 121.2 101.6 19.6 19.3
Humberside police 118.9 114.3 4.6 4.0
Kent police 193.1 184.2 8.9 4.8
Lancashire police 189.6 181.3 8.3 4.6
Leicestershire police 110.2 106.3 3.9 3.6
Lincolnshire police 72.6 69.7 2.9 4.1
Norfolk police 91.5 86.9 4.6 5.3
North Yorkshire police 81.0 78.0 3.0 3.8
Northamptonshire police 73.4 70.4 3.0 4.2
Nottinghamshire police 133.8 129.6 4.2 3.2
Staffordshire police 127.0 122.2 4.8 3.9
Suffolk police 72.9 69.9 3.0 4.3
Surrey1 119.9 93.4 26.5 28.4
Sussex police 174.5 168.0 6.5 3.9
Thames Valley police 238.3 229.1 9.2 4.0
Warwickshire police 58.9 55.9 3.0 5.4
West Mercia police 125.7 116.5 9.2 7.9
Wiltshire police 72.0 68.9 3.1 4.4
Total 3,685.9 3,490.1 195.8 5.6

Mr. Charles Clarke

The average number of days taken on sick leave per police officer in England and Wales has reduced over the last three years, as given in the table. The figures for 1999–2000 are not yet available.

Average number of days
1996–97 12.5
1997–98 12.7
1998–99 11.7

The Comprehensive Spending Review set police a two per cent. year on year efficiency target, including the reduction of sickness absence in police forces in England and Wales and nearly all forces now have targets to reduce sickness absence as part of their efficiency plans.