§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer given by Baroness Blackstone on 15 July (WA 106), whether they regard the target of 70 per cent. women to 30 per cent. men set by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) for employment in that organisation as acceptable; and whether they will instruct the EOC to move towards a more balanced ratio as quickly as possible.
§ The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone)It is for employers, not the Government, to decide what targets for the proportions of women and men they employ are appropriate. Only the employers can judge this in the light of their circumstances, following the principle of recruitment on merit.
As indicated in my previous reply, the Equal Opportunities Commission will review its target and progress towards it after two years.