Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2020 to Question 121220 on Prison and Probation Service: Sick Leave, what assessment she has made of the reasons for sickness absences having increased in the majority of sickness categories.
We cannot conclusively determine why there has been an increase in sickness absences across the majority of sickness categories. Ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of HMPPS staff in England and Wales is a continuing priority, and all staff are supported with access to a comprehensive occupational health service and employee assistance programme.
The COVID pandemic has subsequently impacted public health, both physically and mentally, but is likely only to be a small factor given the data provided in PQ 121220 is up to the end of March 2020.