§ 33. Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the number of ethnic minority appointees to health trusts. [46635]
§ Mr. MilburnWe are committed to improving the participation of people from ethnic minorities in public life. Since taking office, 9 per cent. of all the non-executive appointments made to National Health Service trust boards in England have been of people from an ethnic minority background, compared with only 5 per cent. before the General Election. Approximately 7 per cent. of trust board non-executive directors now come from ethnic minorities. The new goal for all National Health Service boards is to achieve at least 7 per cent. ethnic minority participation by September 2001.