§ Ms ArmstrongTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department the number of(a) male and (b) female (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employees. [35465]
§ Mr. BurtThe numbers of permanent industrial and non-industrial staff as at 1 April 1995 on a head-count basis were as follows:
Male Female Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time Benefits Agency 21,445 514 37,731 11,323 Child Support Agency 1,831 67 3,437 1,056 Contributions Agency 3,084 47 4,818 1,536 Information Technology Services Agency 2,262 1 1,179 161 Resettlement Agency 74 1 51 14 War Pensions Agency 374 8 821 149 DSS Headquarters and Independent Statutory Bodies 1,136 15 1,503 218 Total 30,206 653 48,540 14,457 The breakdown of staff by grade is as follows:
Male Female Grade (including equivalent professional and other grades) Full time Part time Full time Part time Grade 1 1 0 0 0 Grade 2 3 0 1 0 Grade 3 12 0 4 0 Grade 4 7 0 2 0 Grade 5 84 0 22 3 Grade 6 263 12 71 22 Grade 7 522 0 158 12 Senior Executive Officer 982 5 360 18 Higher Executive Officer/Higher Executive Officer (D) 3,180 12 2,241 239 Executive Officer 9,520 126 11,346 3,546 Administrative Officer 11,691 297 27,236 8,418 Administrative Assistant 3,921 200 7,035 2,182 Others 20 1 64 17 Totals 30,206 653 49,540 14,457 Note:
1. Staff on loan or secondment and not being paid by the Department.
2. Staff on unpaid leave for more than 3 months or on unpaid maternity leave.
3. Casual staff.
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list(a) the number of (i) male and (ii) female employees, (b) the number of officials employed at each of the principal grades and the numbers and percentages of women employed at these grades and (c) the numbers of staff employed at administrative grades and the number and percentages of these staff that are women, in his Department and for each of its agencies for each year since 1985. [35685]
1494W
§ Mr. BurtThe information is not available in the form requested but details by grade and gender for the Department as a whole, including the executive agencies, can be found in table 5 of civil service statistics for each year from 1985 to 1994—copies available in the Library. Details for 1995 will be published later this year. I also refer the hon. Member to my reply today to the hon. Member for Durham, North-West (Ms Armstrong).
Mr. DonohueTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures his Department has taken to encourage the promotion of women into senior positions within his Department and its executive agencies. [35671]
§ Mr. BurtThis Department is committed to equality of opportunity for all members of staff. It is also fully committed to the Cabinet Office programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity for women in the civil service. In addition, the Department was an early member of Opportunity 2000, a national campaign to improve the quantity of women's participation in the workplace
All parts of the Department, including its executive agencies, have equal opportunities action plans and all staff are encouraged to develop to their full potential. Women's development courses are widely available and all senior promotion panels include at least one woman.
The proportion of women is increasing at all management levels, women make up 67 per cent. of the Department and over half of all management grades. Over a quarter of the top three grades are currently held by women, two of the Department's agency chief executives are women and in September this year, the Department will have a female permanent secretary, Ann Bowtell.