§ Fiona MactaggartTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appointments to public bodies have been made through his Department(a) from April 2000 to March 2001 and (b) since 31 March 2001; and how many of these were (i) men and (ii) women. [42164]
§ Angela EagleThe number of men and women appointed, or re-appointed, by Ministers in this Department to bodies sponsored by this Department during the periods in question is as follows:
period Men appointed Women appointed 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 296 176 1 April 2001 to 28 February 2002 204 142 Summary information contained in 'Public Bodies 2001', which was published on 14 February 2002, shows that as at 31 March 2001, women held 34 per cent. of appointments made to the boards of public bodies, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds held 4.8 per cent. of appointments. This is an increase of I per cent. and 0.4 per cent. respectively on the previous year. The position in the Home Office was better than the average: on 31 March 2001 women held 40 per cent. of all appointments to Home Office sponsored NDPBs, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds held 9.1 per cent.
The Home Office has included the following in its objectives to be achieved by March 2005:
1. "To increase the number of women applicants for appointments to public bodies so as to achieve an interim target of 45 per cent. women appointees by 31 March 2005.2. "To ensure that women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and disabled people are each represented in line with these targets on the different types of bodies, and in responsibility, including the Chair and Vice-Chair.To achieve these objectives the Department will, amongst other measures:
1. Employ targeted advertising to encourage underrepresented groups to apply.2. Seek possible candidates using candidate lists held by other government departments.3. Continue to monitor the composition of the different types of bodies sponsored by the Home Office and the proportion of women. people from ethnic minority backgrounds and disabled people in positions of Chair and Vice-Chair.