§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales when his Department's ethnic monitoring exercise commenced; when he expects it to be concluded; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 16 June 1988. A survey of the ethnic origin of staff in my Department commenced on 20 April 1988 and was concluded on 31 May. A 94 per cent. rate of return was achieved. The results of the survey are currently being analysed by the Cabinet Office (Office of the Minister of the Civil Service).
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what positive action he has taken to remedy past inequalities in employment practices in his Department in compliance with the codes of the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission, respectively, other than those measures specified in his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West dated 27 May, at columns397–8.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 27 May. Since my earlier reply agreement has been reached with the trade union side in my Department on equal opportunities framework papers covering monitoring of policies, training, promotion and job allocation.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has appointed an equal opportunities officer; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerAn equal opportunities officer has been designated within my Department's personnel management division. The officer has responsibility for advising senior management on the application and monitoring of the Civil Service policy on non-discrimination. The officer also provides advice on the implementation of the programme of action on equal opportunities recommended by the joint review group of the Civil Service National Whitley council's joint personnel management committee.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many and what percentage of officers in each grade and overall in his Department are(a) women and (b) from ethnic minorities, respectively;
(2) what were the results of the survey recently completed to provide information on the ethnic origin of staff in his Department; and how many, and what percentage of staff in each unit or grade were found to be of Afro-Caribbean and Asian origin, respectively.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe details requested by the hon. and learned Gentleman for female staff in my Department756W are set out in the table. The information sought about staff from ethnic minorities is not available, since an ethnic monitoring staff-in-post survey of the Welsh Office has only very recently been completed and the results are currently being analysed by the Cabinet Office (Office of the Minister of the Civil Service).
women Number per cent. Grade 1 — — Grade 2 — — Grade 3 — — Grade 4 — — Grade 5 1.5 3 Grade 6 11 17 Grade 7 15 13 SEO 14 17 HEO 67 34 EO 179.5 50 AO 277 67 AA 148.5 61 Typing and secretarial grades 219.5 100 Other support grades 44.5 31 Professional grades 24 16 Industrials 2 2 TOTAL 1,003.5 46 Notes:
1. All figures relate to current operational grades.
2. As at 1 June 1988.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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 WalkerMy Department, as an equal opportunities employer, is conducting a continuing policy of encouraging women and members of ethnic minorities to play their full part in its work. The matter is kept under review by a joint management-union working party. Specific issues currently under consideration include a feasibility study of day care facilities, training for women managers and efforts to build links with schools with significant numbers of children from ethnic minorities.