Equal Opportunities (Hansard, 1 April 1993)

§ Mr. Janner
To ask the Lord President of the Council how many and what percentage of officers in each grade from 1 to 7 and overall in the Privy Council Office are(a) women, (b) from ethnic minorities and (c) disabled people.

§ Mr. Newton
The Privy Council has no staff at grades 1 or 2. At grades 3 to 7 it has five staff, one of whom is a woman—grade 7—and none of whom are from ethnic minorities or disabled. Overall, 50 per cent. of current Privy Council staff are women, and 6 per cent. are from ethnic minorities. None is disabled.

§ Mr. Janner
To ask the Lord President of the Council when the Privy Council Office last conducted surveys of(a) ethnic 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. Newton
Given the size of the office—32 staff—such surveys are inappropriate.

§ Mr. Janner
To ask the Lord President of the Council what steps he has taken to recruit women, members of ethnic minorities and disabled people, respectively, in top grades of employment at the Privy Council Office.

§ Mr. Newton
Senior posts in the Privy Council Office are filled from within the civil service, often by staff on loan. Such direct recruitment as occurs is conducted in accordance with the relevant equal opportunities code of practice.