HC Deb 02 November 1988 vol 139 cc657-8W
Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether there are any people from ethnic minorities in unified grade I, unified grade II, unified grade III, unified grade IV, unified grade V, unified grade VI or unified grade VII, respectively, in his Department.

Mr. Rifkind

None of the staff in unified grades 1 to 7 who responded to my Department's survey of the ethnic origins of staff described themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what sex is the equal opportunities officer appointed by his Department; and if he or she is a member of an ethnic minority;

(2) whether the equal opportunities officer appointed in 1984 is still holding that office; and whether that person is (a) male or female or (b) a member of an ethnic minority.

Mr. Rifkind

The equal opportunities officer appointed in my Department in 1984 was female as is her successor. Neither is a member of an ethnic minority.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has now completed the evaluation of the voluntary survey of the ethnic origins of staff carried out by his Department; and whether he will make it his policy to place a copy of the results of the survey and of his evaluation in the Library.

Mr. Rifkind

The results of the voluntary survey carried out on a nationwide basis will be published by the Cabinet Office and a copy of the report will be placed in the House of Commons Library. That report will include figures for my Department. The evaluation was informal; there is no evaluation report.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether ethnic monitoring has now been introduced in the recruitment procedures of his Department.

Mr. Rifkind

Most of my Department's recruitment is done on its behalf by the Civil Service Commission and the Inland Revenue, and that is all subject to ethnic monitoring. Monitoring of recruitment carried out by the Department itself will now begin in January 1989. It had been planned for autumn 1988, but this has not proved possible.

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