§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to recruit women, members of ethnic minorities and disabled people, respectively, in top grades of employment at his Department.
§ Mr. AitkenMOD recruitment into the fast stream is undertaken by the Recruitment and Assessment Services agency—RAS—on behalf of the Civil Service Commissioners. RAS has put in place a range of measures to aid the recruitment of minority groups. The principle of fair and open competition continues to apply, including the commitment to equal opportunities. The Department is considering with the Windsor Fellowship the possibility of sponsoring students of ethnic minority origin at the pre-recruitment stage for fast-stream entry. Consistent with departmental action programmes for women, ethnic minorities and those with disabilities, we have indicated to RAS our willingness to take fast-stream entrants from minority groups, and new recruits from all three groups have joined the Department in recent years.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department last conducted surveys of(a) ethnic 324W origins and (b) the number of women among its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AitkenEthnic monitoring of all civilian staff was introduced in 1988 as an important element of our equal opportunities policies. A further survey of all staff who did not reply to the initial survey was conducted in March 1991 and resulted in an improved response rate. Ethnic monitoring is a continuous process in the MOD, and all new entrants, except casual staff, are surveyed on joining. The information to establish the number of women employed in the Department is readily available from employment records; surveys to establish gender are therefore unnecessary.