HC Deb 23 July 1997 vol 298 cc581-2W
Mr. Vaz

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many and what percentage of employees in his private office are(a) of Asian origin and (b) of Afro-Caribbean origin. [8946]

Mr. Hoon

Information relating to ethnicity in the Lord Chancellor's Department is not usually given where numbers are small enough to enable identification of individuals. This practice complies with an agreement between the trade unions and the Department, and assurances given to staff when they are asked to provide the information. However, all staff in my private office, irrespective of ethnic origin, have consented to provision of this information, and the trade unions have consented to publication.

The information is set out in the table.

Parliamentary Secretary's Private Office, Lord Chancellor's Department
Number Percentage
Asian Origin 2 40
African origin 1 20

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many and what percentage of employees, in each payband, in the quangos for which his Department is responsible, are of(a) Asian origin and (b) Afro-Caribbean origin. [8947]

Mr. Hoon

My Department is responsible for only one active executive non-departmental public body: the Legal Aid Board.

The latest ethnic monitoring figures available for the Legal Aid Board are as at 31 March 1996, and are in the table.

The board's survey is conducted by grade rather than salary bands. The salary bands used overlap as they range from the minimum of the lowest grade to the maximum of the highest grade in each band. The salaries exclude London weighting/recruitment and retention allowance where applicable.

Afro-Caribbean Asian
Salary ranges for more than one grade Number Per cent. Number Per cent.
£5,000–£14,000 52 3.82 26 1.91
£9,800–£28,000 11 0.80 5 0.36
£22,000–£45,000 0 n/a 2 0.14