Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information the Government holds on the proportion of civil service sick days taken for reasons relating to (a) mental ill-health and (b) physical ill health.

The Civil Service recognises that good workforce health and wellbeing is fundamental to delivering brilliant public services. We support people so that they can remain at work where possible and to return as soon as they are ready following sickness absence.

For the year ending March 2017, the percentage of absence that was reported as due to mental ill health was 25.8%. The percentage of absence that was reported against categories which relate to physical ill health was 64.9%. The remainder is attributed to cases recorded as unknown or with ill-defined symptoms and to pregnancy complications.

The Civil Service continues to review how it can proactively manage sickness absence and improve health and wellbeing at work even further, ensuring that it consistently delivers the high level of service that the public demand and expect.