§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the numbers of entrants to his Department from the ethnic minorities in the years 1985–86 and 1986–87 and if he will also list the monitoring procedures 117W used to ascertain the percentage of the work force represented by ethnic minorities and their patterns of promotion; and what are his methods of recruitment of minorities into the Department.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsThe ethnic origins of new entrants to my Department have been surveyed since October 1985. The position is:
Number Total new entrants to Welsh Office in the period 1 October 1985 to 28 February 1987 133 Ethnic origins: white 132 black-Asian 1 not stated — A phased programme of departmental surveys of the ethnic origin of non-industrial civil servants by means of voluntary self-classification is being conducted. All non-industrial staff in my Department will be surveyed by June 1988. Consideration is being given to ways of using the date on the ethnic origin of staff-in-post to monitor promotion.
All departmental recruitment is conducted on the basis of fair and open competition and selection is on merit. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Privy Council Office on 20 February 1987 at columns 880–81, reporting the arrangements being made to encourage people from the ethnic minorities to apply to the Civil Service.