§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures his Department has taken to encourage the promotion of women into senior positions within his Department and its executive agencies. [35676]
§ Mrs. Angela KnightAs part of a package of measures designed to ensure equality of opportunity within the department, the Treasury has set flow targets to measure the progress of women and ethnic minority staff. Among these targets are objectives (i) to achieve a pattern of promotion for men and women which is related to their representation in the field; (ii) to increase the proportion of women in the higher grades over time, and (iii) in the longer term, for women to be represented in the most senior grades in the same proportions as they are recruited into the Treasury in the "feeder grades".
Further measures to encourage the promotion of women include: action to address the perceived "long hours culture" within the Treasury, which is seen as a potential barrier to women; the introduction of an open system of postings within the department up to grade 4 level with the presumption that all posts are open to alternative working patterns except where a valid case is made to the 1264W contrary; and flexible working hours made available to more than one third of the staff.
The Treasury does not have any executive agencies.
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list(a) the number of (i) male and (ii) female employees, (b) the number of officials employed at each of the principal grades and the numbers and percentages of women employed at these grades and (c) the numbers of staff employed at administrative grades and the percentages of these staff that are women, in his Department and each of its executive agencies for each year since 1985. [35665]
§ Mrs. KnightThe information is not available in the form requested, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.