HC Deb 24 June 1988 vol 135 cc755-6W
Mr. Janner

To 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 Walker

I 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. Janner

To 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 Walker

I 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. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has appointed an equal opportunities officer; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker

An 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. Janner

To 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 Walker

The details requested by the hon. and learned Gentleman for female staff in my Department 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. Janner

To 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 Walker

My 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.

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