§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the number of police officers(a) taking sustained sick leave and (b) who retire early on the grounds of ill health. [16880]
1012W
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 22 November 2001]: Information from forces collected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary shows that in 2000–01 2,591 officers in England and Wales (excluding the Metropolitan police and South Wales police, for which figures are not available) took long term sick leave (defined as continuous sick absence of 28 days or more).
The Home Office plans to introduce a national occupational health strategy for the police service in England and Wales. The strategy will identify positive steps that forces can take to help officers who suffer illness or injury to make the speediest possible return to duty.
The number of ill-health retirements has declined from 2,012 in 1996–97 (45 per cent. of retiring officers) to 1,209 in 2000–01 (31 per cent.). (The figures collected centrally do not distinguish whether ill-health retirement took place either before or after the officer concerned was eligible for a maximum 30-year pension.)
The downward trend is encouraging but more work needs to be done. The Home Office has therefore asked the Police Negotiating Board to explore and agree ways to deliver a fair and more consistent approach towards early retirement due to ill health, so that forces can achieve the best quartile baseline by 2005.