§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 307W 7 respectively, and overall in the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Treasury Solicitor's Department respectively, are (a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe table shows the number and percentage of women in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Treasury Solicitor's Department.
Lord Chancellor's Department Treasury Solicitor's Department Grade Number Percentage Number Percentage 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 10 4 0 0 0 0 5 2 7.1 3 7.7 6 14 25.5 16 29.6 7 27 21.3 8 20.0 A total of 5.6 per cent. of respondents to a survey of ethnic origins carried out in the Lord Chancellor's Department in 1988 were members of ethnic minority groups; the number of respondents in grades 1 to 7 is insufficient to provide reliable figures.
Two officers at grade 6, representing 3.7 per cent., and three officers at grade 7, representing 7.5 per cent. of staff at those grades in the Treasury Solicitor's Department are members of ethnic minority groups.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General when the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Treasury Solicitor's Department last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.
Solicitors' fees Counsels' fees Disbursements Total £ £ £ £ 1978–79 593,773 334,672 151,142 1,079,587 1979–80 863,589 486,749 219,822 1,570,160 1980–81 1,209,249 659,971 284,143 2,153,363 1981–82 1,091,013 638,138 283,910 2,013,061 1982–83 1,606,005 645,793 389,173 2,640,971 1983–84 2,603,707 1,365,494 646,844 4,616,045 1984–85 2,221,995 1,193,056 608,699 4,023,750 1985–86 2,494,360 1,776,113 772,643 5,043,116 1986–87 2,450,505 1,538,623 756,001 4,745,129 1987–88 2,907,512 1,631,829 799,600 5,338,941 Totals 18,041,708 10,270,438 4,911,977 33,224,123 308W
Legal aid in civil proceedings Solicitors' and Counsels' fees Disbursements Total £ £ £ 1978–79 200,952 49,296 250,248 1979–80 247,740 68,552 316,292 1980–81 388,026 51,338 439,364 1981–82 343,472 112,240 455,712 1982–83 388,300 150,842 539,142 1983–84 468,294 209,513 677,807 1984–85 542,362 228,372 770,734 1985–86 951,040 360,727 1,311,767 1986–87 1,167,262 435,749 1,603,011 1987–88 1,217,467 489,326 1,706,793 TOTALS 5,914,915 2,155,955 8,070,870
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Lord Chancellor's Department and the Treasury Solicitor's Department completed the surveys of the ethnic origin of their employees in 1988, and continue to monitor the ethnic origin of all recruits to the Departments.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Treasury Solicitor's Department.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Civil Service Commission recruits by fair and open competition all staff graded executive officer and above. Thereafter, promotion is dependent upon performance in the grade and consideration of the officer's ability to perform the duties of the higher grade through Departmental procedures designed to test these criteria. The Civil Service is an equal opportunities employer and the ethnic origin of the officer plays no part in recruitment or promotion procedures.