§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General how the Government's policies on race relations and equal opportunities for women in accordance with the appropriate code of practice include race and sex monitoring exercises in(a) his Department and (b) the Lord Chancellor's Department; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Treasury Solicitor's Department is responsible for the provision of all staff to the Law Officers' Department. Within the Treasury Solicitor's Department, the application of the policies is monitored by the personnel division. Within the Lord Chancellor's Department, the application of the policies is monitored by appropriate committees of the departmental Whitley council, and the equal opportunities officers chairs a joint working party. Within both Departments ethnic monitoring is being carried out by a phased programme of surveys of staff and, in addition surveys of applicants in recruitment schemes. Monitoring by sex can be done from staff records.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attornery-General whether he has taken steps to identify disparities in recruitment and promotion by reason of the ethnic origins and sex of staff(a) in his Department and (b) in the Lord Chancellor's Department; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralFigures of individual local recruitment schemes and promotion boards are collected within the Lord Chancellor's Department by the equal opportunities officer; and within the Treasury Solicitor's Department by the personnel division. Benchmark data on the ethnic composition of recruitment areas are not yet available in either Department, nor are the full results of the surveys of the ethnic origins of serving staff. Disparities cannot be identified until this information is to hand. In the year ending 31 May 1988 nearly 66 per cent. of new entrants to the Lord Chancellor's Department were women. Within the Treasury Solicitor's Department, the figure was over 49 per cent.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General whether the Lord Chancellor has taken any steps other than issuing policy statements and leaflets to staff and giving guidance and training on equal opportunities, so as to promote greater equality within his Department; and if he will make a statement.
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§ The Attorney-GeneralYes. In addition to the other examples of action taken specified in the reply to the hon. Member on 7 June, at column449, a joint working party of the departmental Whitley council has been set up to monitor and review the application of the equal opportunity policies and the effect of the personnel procedures to ensure equality of opportunity.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General whether he has identified any inequalities in employment practices in his Department, arising from the sex or ethnic origins of staff; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General what was the result of the survey of ethnic origin of all staff carried out by the Lord Chancellor's Department; which areas that survey identified as areas where positive action was required; and what positive action has been taken other than that specified in his reply to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West on 25 May,Official Report, column 44.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe full result of the survey of ethnic origin of staff in post is not yet available. With the limited data available at present there is insufficient information to identify any areas where an imbalance of ethnic origin of staff calls for positive action.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General whether(a)he and (b) the Lord Chancellor have appointed an equal opportunities officer; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralYes. Both Departments have an equal opportunities officer.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General how many and what percentage of officers in each grade and overall in his Department are(a) women and (b) from ethnic minorities, respectively.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThere are at present no black or Asian members of staff in the Law Officers' Department.
The figures in relation to women members of staff are as follows:
Grade Men (%) Women (%) Total 2 1 (100) — 1 5 3(75) 1(25) 4 6 5 (100) — 5 SPS — 4 (100) 4 EO — 1 (100) 1 PS — 1 (100) 1 AO — 2 (100) 2 AA 1 (100) — 1
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General what steps(a) he and (b) the Lord Chancellor have taken to ensure that there is equality of opportunity for women and for people fom ethnic minorities in all grades of their Departments, in connection with employment, training and promotion, respectively.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe position is the same in both Departments. Recruitment procedures and promotion selection procedures are formal and standard and designed to avoid both direct and indirect discrimination. They are based on merit. Training is available to all staff in4W accordance with their identified needs. The training given to interviewing panels includes guidance on the dangers of assumptions and stereotyping.