HC Deb 20 March 1985 vol 75 cc495-7W
Mr. Lawler

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, with reference to the current review of the area manpower boards, he will seek to ensure that young people will be represented on the reconstituted boards.

Mr. Peter Morrison

No.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the constitutional position of area manpower boards; and to what extent their constitutions or guides to practice permit co-opted members to vote.

Mr. Peter Morrison

[pursuant to his reply, 12 March 1985, c. 95]: The constitution of area manpower boards is set out in the guide to the working of area manpower boards, a copy of which is available in the Library. Co-opted members do not normally have the right to vote, but exceptionally on certain boards some co-opted members are allowed to vote.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment which area manpower boards have no members who are from ethnic minorities; and what is the proportion of ethnic minorities in the general population in the area they serve.

Mr. Peter Morrison

[pursuant to his reply, 12 March 1985, c. 95]: 36 of the 55 area manpower boards have no members from ethnic minorities. They are as follows. Up-to-date information for the purposes of the comparison requested is not available.

Area manpower boards with no member from ethnic minorities Approximate percentage of ethnic minorities in total population in area covered by board*
Percentage
Scotland
Highlands and Islands
Grampian and Tayside 1
Central and Fife 1
Lothian and Borders 1
Dumfries and Galloway
Glasgow City ‡1
Dumbarton, Argyll and Renfrewshire
Lanarkshire
Ayrshire
Wales
Gwynedd
Clwyd and Powys 1
Dyfed and West Glamorgan 1
Mid and South Glamorgan 1
Gwent
Northern
Cleveland 2
Durham 1
North Tyne 1
Yorkshire and Humberside
North Yorkshire 1
South Yorkshire 2
Humberside 1
North West
Cheshire 1
Cumbria
Midlands
Derbyshire 2
Lincolnshire 1

Area manpower boards with no member from ethnic minorities Approximate percentage of ethnic minorities in total population in area covered by board*
Percentage
Shropshire, Hereford and Worcester 1
Staffordshire 1
Wolverhampton and Walsall 11
South West
Dorset and Somerset 1
Cornwall and Devon 1
South East
Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire 3
Essex 2
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 2
Kent 2
Norfolk and Suffolk 1
Surrey 3
East and West Sussex 2
* All figures rounded to nearest 1 per cent.
† Less than 0.5 per cent.
‡ Estimate is for Strathclyde region.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many members of area manpower boards are (a) black/other ethnic minority, (b) women and (c) young people under 25 years; and, in each case, how many are full members, co-opted members with voting rights, and co-opted members without voting rights; and what proportion these represent of total membership.

Mr. Peter Morrison

[pursuant to his reply, 12 March 1985, c. 95]: Information on the age of area manpower board members is not available. The breakdown of area manpower board membership by black/ethnic minorities, and women is as follows (with proportions against total membership shown in brackets):

Numbers Percentage
Full members
(a) Black/other ethnic minority 8 (0.8)
(b) Women 82 (8.2)
Co-opted members without voting rights
(a) Black/ethnic minority 19 (1.9)
(b) Women 14 (1.4)
Co-opted members with voting rights
(a) Black/other ethnic minority 3 (0.3)

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