§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress made by his Department since 1997 in reducing sickness absence; and if he will make a statement. [134506]
§ Mr. StrawInformation on sickness absence data for the Civil Service between 1995 and 1998 was published in a British Medical Institute (BMI) Health Services Report 'Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service', produced on behalf of the Cabinet Office. Information for 1999 will be included in the next BMI report to be published shortly.
The Home Office and its Agencies have introduced new guidelines, policies and procedures with a view to reducing sickness absence. The Department's Service Delivery Targets for April 2001 to March 2004, which include a target for sickness absence, were published on Friday, 3 November, and are available on the Home Office website (www.homeoffice.gov.uk/pfd/sda2000.htm).
To reduce sickness absence, and sustain this improvement thereafter in the:
Home Office and its agencies (excluding the Prison and Probation Services) to an average of 6.9 days per member of staff by end of March 2003;Prison and Probation Service to an average of 9.0 days per member of staff by 2004;Fire Service, by 2005, to a level consistent with or better than those presently achieved by the best quartile of employers, eg an average of 6.5 shifts for firefighters and 5.4 shifts for control room staff; and inall police forces which now have targets as part of their efficiency plans.