To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. (143063)

The average number of days recorded as sick leave absences by staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for each of the past five calendar years is as follows:

These figures, particularly for the early years, may contain a level of under-reporting. They rely on staff and their managers entering absences accurately on our electronic management information system. We have recently revised our sickness absence procedures to improve the accuracy of our records and to reduce the number of days lost to sickness absence. Subject to agreement with our trade unions, we plan to implement the new procedures in September.