§ Ms. RichardsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he has implemented to ensure that recruitment and promotion policy in his Department does not directly or indirectly discriminate against applicants who were mature students or women returning to work following a career break due to child care.
§ Mr, Donald ThompsonMy Department is directly responsible for the recruitment of administrative officers, equivalent grades, and below. Selection panels are instructed on the need to guard against any form of discrimination. Selection criteria based, for example, on sex are strictly forbidden as are criteria which might discriminate on age grounds against mature students or women returning to work following a career break.
All staff have been issued with guidance entitled. "How to cope with changes in domestic responsibilities and still have a job," a copy of which has been placed in the Library. This encourages staff to consider alternatives to 669W resignation and also contains guidance on rejoining the Civil Service after a period away from work. A scheme designed to give preferential consideration for reinstatement when staff resign for domestic reasons is also under discussion with my Department's trade union side. This will give staff who resign for domestic reasons further encouragement to rejoin my Department when they are ready to return to work, and I hope the scheme will be introduced shortly.
Those responsible for assessing staff for promotion are regularly reminded of the need to guard against any form of discrimination, and to avoid making any assumptions about mobility or length of future service in reaching decisions.
My Department began monitoring the progress of women through all stages of recruitment competitions last year. Monitoring of promotion and allocation to duties will start this year. The need for further action will be considered in the light of the results which emerge.