§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Minister for the Civil Service what number and percentage of the administrative class of the Civil Service (a) are Oxbridge graduates and (b) have been educated privately in the latest available year; and what are the comparable figures for 1981.
§ Mr. LuceStatistics are not kept centrally of the educational background of current members of the administrative group, of which the former administrative class now forms part. Statistics are, however, kept of the university attended by new recruits to the grades of administration trainee (AT) and higher executive officer (development) (HEO(D)). In 1986 there were 81 new entrants to these grades of whom 38 (47 per cent.) were graduates of either Oxford or Cambridge university. In 1981 the corresponding number of recruits was 41 of whom 24 (59 per cent.) were Oxbridge graduates. Statistics of the school attended by recruits to these grades have not been kept since 1981, when 13 (32 per cent.) of AT entrants had been educated at direct grant or independent schools.