To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many working days have been lost to the Department and its executive agencies in each year since 1997 due to staff absenteeism, expressed as the average annual number of absent days per employee; and what the estimated total cost to the Department and its agencies of absenteeism was in each year. (77758)

The Department for Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006 and its predecessor, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, was created on 29 May 2002. The number of days lost due to sickness and costs are contained in the annual report “Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service” published by the Cabinet Office. Reports for 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 are available in the House of Commons Library and on the Cabinet Office website at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/conditions _of_service/publications