§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken, since the coining into effect of the code of the Commission for Racial Equality 581W on 1 April, to ensure compliance by his Department and, in particular, with the recommendations in respect of ethnic monitoring and of positive action, respectively.
§ Mr. NewtonThe Department took part in the surveys of the ethnic origins of non-industrial civil servants in the north-west and the county of Avon announced by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Treasury in the House on 24 March 1983, at column461. The Department's policies and procedures were reviewed before the Commission for Racial Equality's code of practice became operative and additional guidance and instructions have been issued. Equal opportunity officers have also been designated within the Department. We shall consider further action once the results of these surveys have been evaluated.
The kind of positive action which the code recommends can be undertaken only where under-representation can be demonstrated.