§ Lord Graham of Edmontonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they can indicate the progress of the Civil Service pilot scheme the results of which they are reported to be awaiting before considering the question of racial equality in the armed forces.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)The first Civil Service experimental ethnic monitoring scheme took place in 1982 and the results were published in two bookletsEthnic Monitoring in the Civil Service: A Survey in Leeds, in 1982 and 1983. This was followed by a limited survey in the North West and the County of Avon, the results of which were published in Ethnic Surveys of non-industrial staff in the Civil Service: North West and Avon on 23rd July 1984. Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House.
The Government then announced on 28th January 1985 (OfficialReport, vol. 459, col. 553) that a phased programme of ethnic surveys of all non-industrial civil servants would be carried out during 1985 to 1988. The first phase, covering East and West Midlands, was completed in 1985 and the second phase, covering London, the South East and East Anglia is due to be completed in 1986.