§ Mr. ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of his Department's appointees to non-departmental public bodies are aged(a) under 25, (b) 25 to 30 and (c) 31 to 35 years. [40733]
§ Mr. Ron DaviesOf the 625 people in appointments for which I have either sole or joint responsibility none are aged under 25; 3 (0.5!) are aged between 25 and 30; and 4 (0.6!) are aged between 31 and 35 as at 5 May 1998.
I am keen to encourage applications for public appointments from a wide range of candidates who are representative of the communities they serve, which includes young people. All appointments are made on merit. Candidates must demonstrate that they meet the criteria set out for each appointment, including the relevant skills and experience.