§ Ms AbbottTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women from ethnic minorities are employed by his Department and its agencies; at what grade; and what measures he has taken to encourage the(a) recruitment, (b) employment and (c) promotion of women from ethic minorities with his Department and its agencies. [39897]
§ Mr. HowardThe Home Office and its agencies employ a total of 1,252 women known to be from ethnic minorities. Details of their grades are given in the following tables. The Directors General of the Prison Service and of the Forensic Science Service, and the chief executives of the UK Passport Agency and the Fire Service College have provided the figures for their agencies.
The Home Office follows the Cabinet Office's programmes for action to achieve equality of opportunity in the civil service for people of ethnic minority origin and for women. Recruitment advertisements, which encourage applications from people regardless of background—including ethnic origin or gender—are placed in the ethnic minority press. A number of measures are being taken to foster links with those from ethnic minorities, including substantial involvement with the Windsor Fellowship and the National Mentoring Consortium and links with community relations councils. In the Prison Service, governors have also been encouraged to make particular efforts to attract applications from women and from those of ethnic minority origin.
656WThe Department has widely publicised procedures for combating harassment and discrimination.
Steps are being taken to encourage more ethnic minority staff to train as members of recruitment and promotion boards with the aim that boards include one member of ethnic minority origin wherever possible. All advertisements for promotion boards carry a statement which makes it clear that the Department is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all staff regardless of factors such as ethnicity or gender.
The Department monitors the progress of staff according to ethnicity and gender, including aspects such as recruitment, grade level, promotion and staff report markings.
Home Office (excluding agencies) Grades1 Number of female staff from ethnic minorities Grade 7 2* Senior executive officer (SEO) 7 Higher executive officer (HEO) 14 Executive officer (EO) 160 Administrative Officer (AO) 378 Administrative assistant (AA) 225 1 Grades given in this and the following tables include grade equivalents (except where Prison Service grades are shown separately). 2 Asterisks denote five staff or fewer to avoid the possibility of individuals being identified.
Her Majesty's (HM) Prison Service Grades Number of female staff from ethnic minorities Senior executive officer (SEO) 1* Higher executive officer (HEO) 1* Executive officer (EO) 20 Administrative officer(AO) 101 Administrative assistant (AA) 53 Senior officer2 1* Prison officer2 79 Prison auxiliary2 11 Night patrol2 12 Chaplain2 1* Nursing grades2 35 Psychologist grades2 1* Medial officer2 1* Professional and technical officer2 1* Instructional officer2 1* Pharmacist grades2 1* HM Prison Service is in the process of transferring to a new computer system and as a result there may be inaccuracies in the above data. 1 Asterisks denote five staff or fewer to avoid the possibility of individuals being identified. 2 HM Prison Service grades. 657W
UK Passport Agency Grades Number of female staff from ethnic minorities Executive officer (EO) 7 Administrative officer (AO) 48 Administrative assistant (AA) 42
Forensic Science Service Grades Number of female staff from ethnic minorities Senior forensic scientist 1* Assistant forensic scientist 12 Higher executive officer (HEO) 1* Administrative office (AO) 1* Administrative assistant (AA) 16 1 Asterisks denote five staff or fewer to avoid the possibility of individuals being identified.
Fire Service College Grade Number of female staff from ethnic minorities Nursing grade 1 1* 1 Asterisks denote five staff or fewer to avoid the possibility of individuals being identified.