Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the contribution of the occupational health market to the economy.

We have not made an assessment that would specifically address this question. However, ill health among working age people, which prevents them working, costs the economy around £100bn a year. Occupational health can prevent work-related illness, unnecessary sickness absence, people falling out of work, as well as supporting business productivity and potentially reducing NHS pressures.

We have worked with a wide range of stakeholders, including through our Occupational Health Expert Group, to shape measures to improve access to high quality occupational health. We will set out our proposals in a consultation exercise in 2019.