Hansard

Occupational Health

Volume 475: debated on Tuesday 13 May 2008

Download text
Back to top Previous debate Next debate
Danny Alexander

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the incidence of self-reported work related ill-health in each year since 2004; and what progress is being made towards meeting this element of his Department's Public Service Agreement target 5. (200823)

Mrs. McGuire

The following table sets out the published statistics for the years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07. The provisional figures for 2007-08 will be published in autumn 2008.

Estimated incidence rates of self-reported work-related ill health

Rate per 100,000 employed in last 12 months

95 per cent. C.I.1

Central

Lower

Upper

2004-05

1,850

1,730

1,960

2005-06

1,640

1,530

1,750

2006-07

2,090

1,970

2,220

1 95 per cent. confidence interval, the range within which we are 95 per cent. confident that the true value lies in the absence of bias.

The PSA target five is to

“By 2008, improve health and safety outcomes in Great Britain through progressive improvements in the control of risk in the workplace”.

The PSA target is measured against six sub-targets, including one for ill health incidence—a 6 per cent. reduction in the 2004-05 baseline. The Health and Safety Executive publishes a statistics progress report annually. The latest report for the period 2006-07 indicates that for ill health and self reported HSE is not on track to meet the PSA target.