§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the level of absenteeism was in(a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its related public bodies in the last year for which figures are available; what his estimate is of the total cost of this level of absenteeism to public funds in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [131321]
§ Mr. Hain[holding answer 18 July 2000]: In 1999–2000 staff in the Department took an average of eight days of sickness absence. Based on an average salary cost (including superannuation and national insurance) the cost to the FCO was £5.5 million. These figures include absences at the FCO's only Executive Agency, Wilton Park, which employs around 40 staff, and the FCO's non-departmental public bodies, all of which employ fewer than seven staff. The cost of this level of absenteeism in the previous four years would have been £5.3 million in 1998–99, £5.3 million in 1997–98, £5.4 million in 1996–97 and £5.4 million in 1995–96. The average number of days of sickness absence in the British Council's operations in the United Kingdom in 1999–2000 was 5.3 days at a total cost of £726,829. The cost of this level of absenteeism in the previous four years would have been £701,882 in 1998–99, £680,825 in 1997–98, £660,401 in 1996–97 and £640,589 in 1995–96.