§ Ms AbbottTo ask the Secretary of State for Health 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 ethnic minorities within his Department and its agencies. [39902]
§ Mr. HoramInformation showing the number of women from ethnic minorities, by grade, employed by the Department and its agencies is as follows:
Number of ethnic minority female staff in Department of Health and agencies (excluding regional offices) Grade Ethnic minority staff Senior Civil Servant 4 UG6 3 UG7 12 SEO 9 HEO 24 EO 76 AO 187 AA 65 Total 380
The Department has taken the following measures to encourage women from the ethnic minorities:Recruitment and employment: The Department and its agencies follow the Cabinet Office guidance and civil service recruitment policies and procedures which incorporate best recruitment practices.751WPromotion: Women from the ethnic minorities, like other staff, are encouraged to attend appropriate development training, giving them the opportunity to develop skills that will better prepare them for promotion opportunities.All personnel policies, practices and procedures are monitored by gender, disability and ethnicity to ensure that they are free of bias and prejudice. The Department and its agencies are committed to following the policies in the Cabinet Office programme for action on race and have actively supported research commissioned by the Cabinet Office into the potential double disadvantage faced by ethnic minority women in the civil service.
In order to improve recruitment, employment and promotion of female staff, the Department has introduced a range of initiatives including flexible working, career breaks and subsidised child care facilities. Also available is positive action training for women from ethnic minorities and staff with disabilities.
The Department participates in the Windsor Fellowship scheme for undergraduates from ethnic minorities and encourages its ethnic minority working group, a staff reference group, which discusses issues affecting staff from the minority ethnic groups.