§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the ethnic origin of the officer designated by his Department as equal opportunities officer.
§ Sir Keith JosephThe ethnic origin of the Department's equal opportunities officer is classified as "white".
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied with the equality of opportunites in his Department in so far as they concern sex and race discrimination; and what advice has lately been given to staff in his Department in respect thereof by the officer designated as equal opportunities officer with responsibility for giving such advice.
§ Sir Keith JosephI am satisfied with equality of opportunities within the Department on the basis of information now available. The Department's personnel procedures are kept constantly under review and improvements are made from time to time. In pursuance of this policy, the Department will be conducting ethnic surveys of all staff (under the Government's phased programme) to enable ethnic monitoring to be carried out, and the implementation of the programme of action on women in the Civil Service announced on 9 February 1984 is being carefully monitored. The equal opportunities officer gives advice to members of staff and management on an individual basis as and when necessary.