HC Deb 22 June 1988 vol 135 cc581-3W
Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he established his programme of voluntary ethnic monitoring; what steps have been taken to progress that programme; what results were obtained from that programme; and why and when the programme is being updated.

Mr. Eggar

The diplomatic and aid wings participated in the Civil Servicewide survey on ethnic origins covering London, the south-east and East Anglia which took place between April 1986 and March 1987.

In the diplomatic wing, 77 per cent. of staff have responded to the survey. Some 2 per cent. of respondents have classified themselves as coming from an ethnic minority. A further 5 per cent. declined to classify themselves.

The response rate in the aid wing was 79 per cent. (84.8 per cent.) in the London and East Anglia survey) of which 5 per cent. classified themselves as coming from an ethnic minority.

The databases in both wings are updated regularly with details of new entrants, promotions, resignations and retirements.

The updated programmes will allow us to monitor recruitment, training, promotions etc. to ensure that we are meeting our obligations as a equal opportunity employer.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what methods he monitors recruitment and training; and what have been the results of such monitoring.

Mr. Eggar

The diplomatic wing monitors the following aspects in the grades for which it has delegated authority to recruit directly:—

  • Gender
  • Ethnic origins
  • Geographic origins
  • Educational backgrounds (state or public school, university, college or polytechnic)
  • Educational qualifications
  • Effectiveness of recruitment publicity

Relevant details are drawn from application forms and ethnic monitoring questionnaires completed by individual applicants. Results in 1987 showed, for example, that of all recruits into the diplomatic wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in that year some 60 per cent. were women and 2 per cent. were from ethnic minorities.

The diplomatic wing monitors the quality and effectiveness of training by means of examinations and assessments of subsequent performance. Participation of officers in training courses is monitored according to age, grade, gender and ethnic origin by means of voluntary self-classification forms. Results have shown, for example, that in the financial year 1987–88 a total of 31 per cent. of participants in training courses were women.

The development wing monitors recruitment into those grades for which it has delegated authority to recruit directly on the basis of gender and ethnic origins. Relevant details are again drawn from application forms and ethnic monitoring questionnaires completed by individual applicants. Results have shown, for example, that the ethnic minority success rate in the majority of 1987 recruitment exercises were higher than the percentage of ethnic minorities in the working population. The recruitment of women has been monitored only since July 1987. In the second half of that year 79 per cent. of all recruits were women.

Participation of development wing officers in training courses is monitored according to gender only. Results have shown that in 1987 a total of 39 per cent. of participants were women.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which of the ethnic minority press he has advertised; and with what results.

Mr. Eggar

In 1988 clerical vacancies in the diploma tic wing have been advertised in "The Voice". This produced 78 out of a total 811 inquiries. Applications from this competition are still being processed. We also advertise in other newspapers with a large ethnic minority readership.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has appointed an equal opportunities officer.

Mr. Eggar

As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State told the hon. and learned Gentleman in the reply given to him on 26 May we appointed equal opportunity officers in the diplomatic and aid wings in 1984. This month we appointed a new equal opportunity officer in the diplomatic wing who will deal exclusively with equal opportunity issues.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many, and what percentage of officers in each grade and overall in his Department, are women and from ethnic minorities, respectively.

Mr. Eggar

The table for the diplomatic and aid wings show the number of staff in post (counting part-time staff as whole units) broken down into five grade bands. The table also shows in each band the number of women and the number of staff who have identified themselves as coming from an ethnic minority.

Diplomatic Wing
Grade2 Staff in post2 Women per cent. Ethnic minorities per cent.
DS 1–5 1,119 73 (6.5) 1 (0.1)
DS6–7 1,464 198 (13.5) 9 (0.6)
DS9 1,477 483 (32.7) 8 (0.5)
DS10 & below 2,260 1,300 (57.5) 66 (2.9)
Industrial 114 41 (36) 4 (3.5)
Totals 6,434 2,095 (32.6) 88 (1.4)

Aid Wing
Grade Staff in post2 Women per cent. Ethnic minorities per cent.
HCS 1–7 258 20 (7.8) 3 (1.2)
SEO/HEO 364 90 (24.7) 11 (3)
EO 255 102 (40) 14 (5.5)
AO & below 684 440 (64.3) 52 (7.6)
Industrial — —(—) —(—)
Totals 1,561 652 (41.8) 80 (5.1)
1 Includes Home Civil Service equivalent grades in the FCO.
2 Includes staff at home and overseas at 1 May 1988.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to improve equality of opportunity for women and for people from ethnic minorities in all grades of his Department, in connection with employment, training and promotion, respectively.

Mr. Eggar

As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State told the hon. and learned Gentleman on 26 May, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is pursuing the 1984 programme of action for women in the Civil Service.

As an equal opportunity employer we recruit nationally and from all sections of society. We shall continue to monitor the proportion of women members of ethnic minorities amongst those who apply to, and join the diplomatic service.

We provide training where appropriate for all members of the diplomatic service irrespective or gender of ethnic origin. We monitor participation on training courses by gender and grade.

We promote those members of the diplomatic service who have shown the ability to do the work of a higher grade irrespective of gender or origin. We shall monitor the promotion of women and officers from ethnic minorities.

The aid wing has similar arrangements.