Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) collecting and (b) publishing data on the number and proportion of police officers taking sick leave who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Supporting the wellbeing and mental health of our police officers is a priority for this Government. Through the Police Covenant we are delivering meaningful changes that will support all who work in policing.

The Home Office collects data on the number of officers on long-term sickness absence, including any recognised medical condition, physical or psychological, as reported by the officer or a medical practitioner. The reason for long-term sickness is not collected. We recognise the importance of understanding what mental health or wellbeing challenges members of the police workforce may face. That is why we continue to the fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) to conduct the annual National Police Wellbeing Survey, the findings of which directly inform the ongoing development of the Police Covenant.