HL Deb 08 September 2003 vol 652 cc74-5WA
Baroness Whitaker

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have appointed the Head of the Task Force Secretariat for Ethnic Minorities and the labour market; and what the postholder's objectives and terms of reference will be. [HL4185]

Baroness Hollis of Heigham

Ms Afsana Shukur has been appointed Head of the Secretariat to the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force. She was appointed following an open competition and she has a wide range of relevant experience, particularly in housing, equal opportunities and local government.

As Head of Secretariat, Ms Shukur will lead a team centred within the Department for Work and Pensions. This team will support the task force in implementing the cross-government strategy, over the next 10 years, to remove the disproportionate barriers that ethnic minority groups face in realising their employment potential. This is in response to the recommendations of the Strategy Unit report on ethnic minorities in the labour market. In addition, the secretariat will be responsible for maintaining links between the key departments, reporting to stakeholders, and handling briefing, speeches, and media issues.

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