§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has carried out monitoring exercises in compliance with the code for the Commission of Racial Equality and Equal Opportunities Commission, respectively.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyYes.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what positive measures his Department has taken in accordance with the codes for the Commission of Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission, respectively, other than those specified in his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West on 26 May,Official Report, column 281.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyWe have encouraged women members of staff to become members of promotion and recruitment boards; provided (jointly with our trade unions) an experimental child-care scheme at a residential training centre, and a holiday playscheme.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has appointed an equal opportunities officer.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyYes. He serves both the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment other than the Property Services Agency.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport by whom and when measures were taken to reduce under-representation of women in the higher grades and of black and Asian staff throughout his Department; and with what results.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe measures have been taken in accordance with Government policy, mainly within the 629W last three years, by the staff responsible for action in the areas concerned. There has been an increase in the number of women in the executive grades. It is too early to judge results in relation to ethnic minority members of staff.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what promotion and monitoring projects have been carried out by his Department, and when and with what results.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyWe have been monitoring recruitment, part-time working and job-sharing, and special leave since 1987. The results so far are being analysed to see if discrimination might be occurring. We intend to monitor a series of promotion boards this year.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of officers in each grade and overall in his Department are women and from ethnic minorities, respectively.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyNumbers and percentages of women are as follows, as at 31 May 1988:
Grade band Number Per cent. 1–4 1 — 5 6 7 6 3 3 7 34 5 8 and 9 196 10 10 756 18 11 and 12 5,630 73 Total 6,626 45 Numbers and percentages of ethnic minority staff are available, as at 31 March 1988, only for those staff who have responded to the voluntary monitoring surveys. Figures are as follows:
Grade band Number Per cent. 1–6 3 1½ 7 9 2 8 32 5 9 27 3 10 46 2 11 121 6 12 97 3 Total 335 3
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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 Peter BottomleyYes. The policy of equal opportunities is well established. Plans for improvements include proposals for expanding part-time working and job-sharing; setting up a keeping-in-touch scheme for people who have left for domestic reasons; reviewing training; participating in promotion and other monitoring projects to investigate possible areas of discrimination; and taking appropriate follow-up measures.