§ Dr. Evan HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when her Department completed its diagnostic review for compliance with the Government's Code of Practice for Age Diversity in Employment; and what changes her Department plans to make following the review. [99424]
§ Ms HewittThe DTI has taken a number of steps to embed the provisions of the Code of Practice, produced in 1999. This has led to the removal of all obvious and unjustifiable age discrimination including in DTI job advertisements and in selection criteria. The Code has been superseded by the Cabinet Office's Winning the Generation Game report and we have adopted, or have already met, its recommendations for Departments. This includes from August 2002 giving all staff in the DTI below the Senior Civil Service the option of continuing to work to age 65.