§ Ms. Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is (a) the proportion of working time allocated to his departmental equal opportunities officer for equal opportunities duties, (b) the other duties carried out by the departmental equal opportunities officer, (c) the proportion and amount of the departmental budget allocated to equal opportunities work, (d) the number of occasions when the departmental equal opportunities officer meets with equal opportunities officers from other Government Departments each year, and (e) the guidelines issued to departmental training officers and 13W equal opportunities officers to promote section 47 of the Sex Discrimination Act; and what action has been taken to facilitate job share, part-time working and parental leave.
§ Mr. ParkinsonNo separate working time or proportion of departmental budget is allocated to the equal opportunities officer in my Department for equal opportunities duties.
The equal opportunities officer in my Department is the head of the branch dealing with personnel matters. He is responsible for the recruitment and career management of staff, pay and conditions of service, welfare and training.
The equal opportunities officer and his deputy meet with those from other Departments on many occasions, both formal and informal, throughout the year.
Cabinet Office guidelines on training, in accordance with section 47 of the Sex Discrimination Act, have been issued to the equal opportunities officer in my Department and to the training section for which he is responsible.
Attention of all staff has been drawn to my Department's aim to expand opportunities for part-time work and job sharing and every effort is made to meet individuals' wishes.
Maternity leave, in accordance with Civil Service-wide provisions, is granted to women in my Department. While my Department has no authority to grant paternity leave, requests for special leave in cases of domestic of family difficulty are considered as sympathetically as possible.