§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many working days were lost due to illness in his Department in(a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding five years. [90746]
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§ Mr. Stephen TwiggThe overall sickness absence rate in the Department for Education and Skills for 2001 was 8.4 days per staff year.
The overall sickness absence rate in the former Department for Education and Employment for each of the years from 2000 to 1997 was:
- 2000—11.3 days per staff year
- 1999—11.0 days per staff year
- 1998—11.6 days per staff year
- 1997—12.6 days per staff year.
The figures are taken from the report 'Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service', published annually by the Cabinet Office. The figures for 2002 will be announced in due course.
My Department is committed to managing sickness absence effectively and to maintaining its efforts to try and meet the 2003 target for reduced sickness absence as set out in its Service Delivery Agreement.