§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the numbers of entrants to his Department from the ethnic minorities in the years 1985–86 and 1986–87; if he will also list the monitoring procedures used to ascertain the percentage of the work force represented by ethnic minorities and their patterns of promotion; and what are his methods of recruitment of minorities into his Department.
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§ Mr. RifkindThe ethnic origins of new entrant non-industrial staff have been surveyed since October 1985. The latest available information for the period up to 31 January 1987 is as follows:
Number Total non-industrial new entrants to the Scottish Office in the period 1 October 1985 to 31 January 1987 750 Ethnic origins (rounded up the nearest multiple of five to preserve confidentiality) White 385 Black/Asian/Others 5 Not stated (ie non respondents) 365 A phased programme of departmental surveys of the ethnic origin of all non-industrial civil servants by means of voluntary self-classification is being conducted. Scottish Office staff will be surveyed by the end of 1987. Consideration is being given to ways of using the data on the ethnic origin of staff-in-post to monitor promotion.
All Departmental recruitment is conducted on the basis of fair and open competition and selection is on merit. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Privy Council Office on 20 February 1987 at column 882 reporting the arrangements being made to encourage people from the ethnic minorities to apply to the Civil Service.