§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in her Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost, what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost; and if she will make a statement. [136854]
§ Alun MichaelDefra has received a total of two centrally reported cases of work-related stress among staff over the past three years. No compensation has been paid in these cases. Our current sickness absence system does not differentiate between stress and work-related stress.
The Department has set a target to reduce the number of working days lost from work-related injury and ill-health by 30 per cent. by 2010. This mirrors the Revitalising Health and Safety Strategy target.
Defra was established in June 2001. Since then, the Management Board has established a sub-committee on Stress which recommended a number of actions. The Stress Policy was updated and relaunched this year.
It is not possible to quantify the cost of this strategy without detailed analysis of all work groups which is not practicable.