§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is now in a position to state how many and what percentage of officers in each grade and overall in his Department are(a) woman and (b) from ethnic minorities, respectively.
§ Mr. SainsburyAs at 1 May 1988 the number of women industrial and non-industrial employees was 40,800 (28.6 per cent.). As there are some 430 different non-industrial grades within the MOD the following breakdown relates to stated grades and equivalents: grades 7 and above, 135 (2.8 per cent.), SEO/HEO, 1,452 (7.1 per cent.), EO, 4,141 (16.5 per cent.), AO and below 24,791 (65.2 per cent.), industrial grades 10,281 (19 per cent.). In common with what is happening in other Government Departments, the voluntary survey of the ethnic origins of MOD staff is being conducted in six phases. The results of the three phases completed were published in December 1987 by the Cabinet Office. The figures from the first three phases show that the number of respondents from the ethnic minorities 737W employed in the MOD was as follows: grade 7 and above 31 (1 per cent.), SEO/HEO and equivalent 91 (0.9 per cent.), EO and equivalents 148 (1.2 per cent.), AO/AA and equivalents 598 (2.9 per cent.). The overall figure was 868 (1.9 per cent). No figures are available yet for industrial staff.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken to encourage more applicants from the ethnic minorities: and when and with what results and by which sections within his Department such positive action was taken.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe MOD has implemented a programme of positive action to encourage more applicants from the ethnic minorities. The actions already taken include advertising in the ethnic press, featuring ethnic minorities in new recruitment brochures, sponsoring students under the Windsor fellowship scheme, and participating in a scheme to provide training for potential executive officer recruits. Further actions are being given consideration.
The actions are primarily being undertaken by MOD recruitment authorities serving units located in areas with a high ethnic minority working population. It is too early to say whether this programme of positive action has had an effect on the number of ethnic minorities applying for posts in the MOD.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efforts he has taken to increase the number of part-time posts in his Department and with what results; and how many and what percentage of such part-time posts are occupied by women and by people form ethnic minorities, respectively.
§ Mr. SainsburyAs at I May 1988 there were 3,849 part-time posts in the MOD. Of these 3,545 (92 per cent.) are occupied by women. Figures for ethnic minorities in part-time posts are not available. The MOD actively encourages part-time working and job-sharing. As part of the MOD equal opportunities plan, instructions on part-time working have been issued within the Department, and job-sharing trials are being conducted in a number of local areas.