To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what average number of days per year was taken by staff in her Department as sick leave in each of the last five years for which records are available. (143057)

Sick absence figures are contained in the annual report “Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service” published by the Cabinet Office. Table 3-4: AWDL for small and micro Departments of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per staff year and the total staff years for each department. The most recent report for the calendar year 2005 is available in the Library of the House. This report and those from 1999 are available on the Cabinet Office website at:

http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/occupationalhealth/publications/index.asp