To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many working days were lost to his 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. (78081)

[holding answer 19 June 2006]: The Department for Transport was only established following machinery of Government changes in May 2002. Each year the Cabinet Office publish an annual report ‘Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service’ that contains reported sick absence data across Government Departments.

Figures from the Cabinet Office report for the Department and its Agencies for days lost due to sick absence are available for 2003 and 2004 as follows:

Figures for 2005 are not available but will be published later this year. Copies of reports are available on the civil service website.