§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many days of sick leave were taken in his Department last year; how many related to employees suffering from(a) stress and (b) other mental health problems; and what the cost was to his Department. [56482]
§ Mr. LeslieCabinet Office publishes an analysis of sickness absence in the civil service each year. The most recently published figures (available on the Cabinet office website) are for calendar year 2000. Cabinet Office Departments (which included in that year GCDA and COI but not RCU) had an average of 4.6 working days absence per staff year.
The report estimates the overall cost of sickness absence within the civil service but does not provide a breakdown by Department.
564W
Name and status of body Location of Code of Practice and register of members interests Statistics Commission1 Published on Statistics Commission public website (address www.statscom.org.uk, in the "how we operate section"). Also available in that section is the register of Commissioners' interests Public Service Productivity Panel1 The panel's Code of Conduct is available on application to the secretary of the panel, and will soon be available on the HM Treasury website (address http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Documents/Public Spending and Services/Public Services Productivity Panel/pss psp backgrd.cfm) The register of members interests is in the process of being updated and the new version will be available on the panel's web 1 Advisory NDPB Cabinet Office's internal records show the following levels of absence for (a) stress related illness and (b) other mental health problems.
2001 Number Working days lost through: stress related illness and sickness 1,321 other mental health illness 0 Neither GCDA nor COI holds this information.
A breakdown of the specific cost of these absences is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Cabinet Office is committed to improving levels of attendance. It is aware of its responsibilities as an employer to provide a safe and healthy working environment and is actively working to ensure that working days lost through work-related injury or illness are minimal.