[holding answer 19 June 2006]: The information is set out in the following table.
Department/calendar year Days lost per staff year Estimated cost of absence (£ million) Education and Skills 2004 9.0 3.3 2003 10.3 4.4 2002 9.8 3.8 2001 8.4 3.3 Education and Employment 2000 7.7 2.9 Employment Service Agency 2000 11.8 29.3 Education and Employment 1999 7.6 2.6 Employment Service Agency 1999 11.5 27.4 Education and Employment 1998 8.2 2.7 Employment Service Agency 1998 11.0 24.8
The data are taken from the report “Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service”, which Cabinet Office publishes annually. The information in the “Days lost per staff year” column is quoted directly from the reports; the “Estimated cost of absence” is based on the average basic salary used in each report.
For the years 1998 to 2003, data for the Department for Education and Skills and the former Department for Education and Employment included staff in the Government Office network. In the 2004 report “Government Offices” is shown as a separate Department.