§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days were lost due to sickness absence in the Department in 2002. [90534]
§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many working days have been lost due to illness in his Department in(a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years. [90966]
§ Dr. MoonieThe Ministry of Defence's sick absence rates for civilian non-industrial staff in the last five years for which MOD data are available, measured in working days absence per staff year, are as follows:
Days 1996 7.9 1997 7.9 1998 8.0 1999 8.8 2000 8.8 Sick absence data for all Government Departments is published in an annual Cabinet Office report, "Analysis of Sick Absence in the Civil Service". Copies of the 1999, 2000 and 2001 reports are available in the Library of the House. However, the 2001 report excludes data for MOD pending the introduction of a new and more accurate statistical reporting system. The 2002 report, which will include MOD data, will be placed in the Library of the House on publication.
A programme of measures is being implemented to help meet the target in MOD's Service Delivery Agreement to reduce sickness absence to seven days by the end of 2003 (target adjusted following the reorganisation of Government Departments in 2000). MOD is committed to improving the health of its staff and managing sick absence more effectively.