asked Her Majesty's Government:
How long they expect to take to evaluate pilots on the Fit for Work scheme advocated in Dame Carol Black's recent report on working age illness. [HL2690]
At present, no specific timetable has been set for the evaluation on the Fit for Work scheme advocated in Dame Carol Black's recent report on the health and well-being of the working age population. The Government expect to respond to the issues raised in Dame Carol's review, including the Fit for Work scheme, in summer 2008.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will appoint a senior Minister with exclusive responsibility for occupational health. [HL2692]
The Government have no plans to appoint a Minister with exclusive responsibility for occupational health. The Health, Work and Well-being Strategy is a cross-government initiative focused on improving the health of working age people, making workplaces healthier and helping more people with health conditions to find and keep work. Improving the availability and quality of occupational health services are key elements in the strategy's work programme. As an issue that closely affects both departments, ministerial responsibility for the strategy rests jointly with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health. Ivan Lewis, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, and I lead this work, reporting to our respective Secretaries of State, who have both made clear the importance they place on ensuring that 2008 marks a step change in the way we approach the health of the working age population.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to improve levels of absence, sickness and disabilities sustained at work in government departments, the National Health Service, local government and other major public services. [HL2693]
The Government are committed to improving the support they give to staff and to making public sector organisations exemplars of healthy workplaces, sickness absence management and occupational health practice. Considerable effort has been focused on this agenda in recent years—in particular through the activity of the Ministerial Task Force on Health, Safety and Productivity and the Health, Work and Well-being Strategy.
As part of this work, plans to create a healthy and productive Civil Service were agreed last year. They include commitments to adopting a checklist on good practice for departmental boards, reviewing policies in light of this and for departments and agencies to publish quarterly performance reports. Arrangements are also being developed to share best practice across departments and agencies. This builds on specific activity already underway in individual departments.
A further example of work in progress includes a project to improve the health and well-being of NHS staff being piloted in three strategic health authorities. This work focuses on engaging staff and helping them choose how best to improve their health. Evidence has shown that engaged, healthy employees are less likely to be absent, be more fulfilled at work and more productive.
While good work is already happening across the public sector, we are committed to going further. We will be considering what more we need to do within the public sector as part of our response to Dame Carol Black's review of the health of the working age population.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to develop detailed proposals based on the recommendations of Dame Carol Black in her recent report on working age illness; and [HL2689]
What status the review of the health of Britain's working age population recently published by Dame Carol Black has in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and what discussions they have held with the appropriate Ministers in the devolved legislatures. [HL2691]
On 17 March Dame Carol Black submitted to the Government her review of the health of the working age population, Working for a Healthier Tomorrow. The review was commissioned jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health as part of the cross-government Health, Work and Well-being Strategy. The review was commissioned to assess the level of working age ill-health in Great Britain and the impact this has on people, their families, government and the economy. It contains recommendations for both Government and stakeholders.
The Government welcome the review and will consider Dame Carol's findings carefully. Over the coming months we will study her recommendations and develop detailed proposals to make a real difference. It is our intention to publish a UK Government response later in the year.
The review's recommendations are also relevant to the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government. Both devolved Administrations were involved throughout the course of the review, have welcomed its publication and will be issuing separate responses to it. Building on the strong links established through the Health, Work and Well-being Strategy, we intend to work closely with Ministers and officials from Scotland and Wales on our responses to the review, ensuring a joined-up approach to the health of working age people across Great Britain.
Dame Carol's review did not focus on Northern Ireland and has no status there.