§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) Black and (b) Asian people are employed in the Community Relations Unit. [21872]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienInformation on ethnic origin is usually collected by means of a voluntary self-classification questionnaire under an assurance that it will be used for statistical purposes only and not disclosed without the subject's consent. The Civil Service Management Code requires Departments and agencies to take appropriate steps, as described in the Model Code of Practice on Ethnic Monitoring issued by the Cabinet Office (Office of Public Service), to safeguard the confidentiality of ethnic origin data. The Model Code of Practice on Ethnic Monitoring requires that information on ethnic origin is collected on the understanding that it will be treated as confidential, and that the ethnic origin of identifiable individuals will not be made known without their consent.