HC Deb 10 April 2002 vol 383 cc317-8W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what recent assessment she has made of whether the target to reduce staff absence to nine days per employee by 2003 will be met; [47259]

(2) if the target to reduce absence to seven days per staff year by 2001 was met; [47261]

(3) what recent assessment she has made of whether the target to reduce absence to six days per staff year by 2003 will be met. [47258]

Dr. Howells

No, but significant progress has been made. In 2001, the average sickness absence was 7.86 days per member of staff, compared with 9.28 in 2000.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the target to reduce absence in the Royal Parks Agency to 10 days per employee by 2001 was met. [47260]

Dr. Howells

Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its Chief Executive, William Weston, and I have asked him to reply.

Letter from William Weston to Mr. John Bercow, dated 10 April 2002: I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the target to reduce sick absence rates in the Royal Parks Agency, as this is an operational matter for which the Agency is responsible. The Agency's target was to reduce the rate to 10 days per employee per year by the end of 2001/02, as a step towards reducing it to 9 days per employee per year by the end of 2002/03. The average rate for the year ending 31 March 2002 was 20 days per employee. This is higher than that for the previous year, and is largely attributable to significant rates of long term sick leave within the Royal Parks Constabulary. It does not reflect more frequent instances of short-term sick leave among the staff as a whole, which is evidenced by the fact that the average rate for non-uniformed staff was less than 5 days per year.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the outturn achieved at 31 December 2001 on the target that all invoices not in dispute should be paid within 30 days. [47262]

Dr. Howells

99.1 per cent. of invoices not in dispute were paid within 30 days, or agreed contractual terms, by the Department during the period January to 31 December 2001.