Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) sickness and (b) staff retention rates were of the seasonal workforce in Border force in 2024.

Data on (a) sickness rates for this cohort is not centrally held by the Home Office.

As regards (b) retention, at the start of 2024, Home Office was authorised by the Civil Service Commission to recruit on an exceptional basis up to 1000 SWF staff to meet short term needs as required. This cohort was not under general employment by Home Office but could be offered short term employment contracts, which they were free to accept or reject. These contracts specified there was no expectation of extension or offer of a further contract, on expiry of the initial term. Following the Civil Service Commission confirming that authorisation for this form of recruitment would not be extended beyond early 2025, all SWF staff contracts were ended by 31 January 2025.