§ Mr. VazTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many QCs are currently women or from the ethnic minorities; and what percentage this is of the total number of QCs.
Mr. John M. TaylorOn 1 October 1992, there were 760 Queen's Counsel in private practice, of whom 41–5.4 per cent.—were women.
The ethnic origin of applicants for the office of Queen's Counsel was not recorded prior to the autumn of 1991, and the formal records in respect of ethnic origin are therefore incomplete.
It is, however, believed that on 1 October 1992 there were seven Queen's Counsel of non-white background—1 per cent.—of whom one was a woman.