Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many senior civil servants in his Department were on a leave of absence from work due to mental illness in each month since January 2010.

HM Treasury have reports that show sickness absence by financial year but not by month. These reports break down grade and absence reason.

However, where the number of individuals covered is less than five, HM Treasury consider that to provide an exact figure, would constitute the disclosure of personal data. Personal data is exempt from disclosure under section 40(2) by virtue of section 40(3)(a)(i) of the FOI Act which is an absolute exemption. Section 40(2) exempts information from disclosure if that information constitutes personal data of someone other than the applicant, and if disclosure of that information would contravene any of the data protection principles in schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998.

In this case, disclosure would contravene the first data protection principle, which provides that personal data must be processed fairly and lawfully.

Details of sickness absence can be found in the HM Treasury published Annual Report and Accounts:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-annual-report

HM Treasury take sickness absence seriously and have put many initiatives in place to help reduce sickness absence within HM Treasury. In 2016/17 the following wellness initiatives were given priority:

• Reducing levels of sickness absence relating to Mental and Behavioural Disorders (including stress, depression, anxiety.) and Musculoskeletal Disorders;

• Increasing the usage of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP); and

  In addition HM Treasury signed up to two key external initiatives:

• The Public Health Responsibility Deal. Up to April 2015 the Treasury reported to the Department of Health on the activities carried out to meet the six pledges signed up to, one being that for mental health; and

• The ‘Time to Change’ pledge. Following this a Mental Wellbeing Network was set up and a range of associated activities take place focusing on improving the mental wellbeing of Treasury employees.

  HM Treasury also support and provide reasonable adjustments for a variety of physical and mental conditions and requirements.