HC Deb 09 May 1988 vol 133 cc19-20
69. Mr. Barry Field

To ask the Minister for the Civil Service how many first division grade civil servants have had industrial or commercial experience.

Mr. Luce

This information is not held centrally. The Government place great value in attracting to the Civil Service at all levels those with industrial or commercial experience.

Mr. Field

Does my right hon. Friend agree that such commercial and industrial experience is invaluable to the Civil Service? Will he do his utmost to ensure that the Civil Service recruits people with the skills that may not be available to it? May we look forward to the day when a member of the first division is seconded for a short period to industry?

Mr. Luce

I agree with my hon. Friend on the importance of doing that. As I said in answer to an earlier question, following the recent direct entry competition for people who are older than the normal recruitment age, at least 50 per cent. of those recruited came from industry and commerce. The Government want to encourage that.

We have a policy on arranging secondments. The number of Civil Service secondments from and to the private sector has doubled in the past nine years. The number increased substantially last year on the previous year. We have a number of other arrangements—for example, the Whitehall and industry scheme, under which civil servants go for short periods to industry—to enable greater contact between the private sector and the Civil Service.

Ms. Mowlam

Let me try again. What percentage of those first division grade civil servants are women, and how has that percentage changed since 1984 when the programme for action to increase the percentage of women at the high levels in the Civil Service was introduced?

Mr. Luce

There has been an increase, and the report shows that, in the proportion of women in grades up to senior positions, although for the very senior positions—grade 3 and above—the proportion of women is still very low. My concern is to ensure that there is equality of opportunity and that any obstacles to that are ironed out. I am pleased that in the recent promotions to very senior positions, 11 per cent. were women. The hon. Lady may think that that is a low figure, but it is much higher than the proportion in the senior grades.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

I welcome the improvement in the representation of women, but has my right hon. Friend any further plans for improving matters?

Mr. Luce

Yes. There is a recommended programme of action and the Government will do their best to implement it. It is noticeable that there is now more scope for part-time jobs in the Civil Service, and a large proportion of women are taking up those opportunities. There is also scope for job sharing in the service, and a large number of women are taking up that opportunity, too. I shall ensure with my colleagues in other Departments that the programme of action is implemented as well as possible.

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