§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures his Department has implemented during the last 12 months to encourage the promotion of women into senior positions with his Department and its executive agencies; and what progress his Department has made in encouraging the promotion of women over the last five years. [31537]
§ Mr. BurtAll business units have action plans covering a range of personnel procedures to encourage the recruitment, retention, development and promotion of women, such as the setting of numerical goals across the104W Department for improving the representation of women at middle management levels and above and self development programmes aimed specifically at women.
Women make up 68 per cent. of the Department's work force, a proportion which has not changed since 1992. The percentage of women in management positions has, however, continued to grow. The proportion of women in junior and middle management positions has increased from 51 per cent. to 58 per cent. in the past five years, and 28 per cent. of senior management positions are now held by women, an increase of 5 per cent. in the past 12 months.