§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the rate of staff(a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in his Department, its predecessors and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for his Department; and if he will make a statement. [93506]
§ Mr. LeslieThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established following machinery of Government changes in May 2002.
In respect of sickness absence, the most recent `Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil service' was published by the Cabinet Office and announced by Ministerial Statement on 19 December 2002. This is available in House Libraries. This covered the calendar year 2001 for the Cabinet Office, the predecessor Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions and its executive agencies. Previous reports go back to 1996. Figures for 2002 will be announced in due course.
The executive non departmental public bodies are not staffed by civil servants, and the sickness absence rates for those are not collected centrally. All cases of absence are taken up and dealt with by line management. Separate information on absenteeism is not readily available. The Office will set a target for reducing sickness absence in the context of its current business planning round.