§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many appointments to public bodies were made by his Department in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99, broken down by (i) gender and (ii) ethnicity; and if he will list the chairmen appointed to those bodies in those years, similarly broken down. [92516]
§ Ms JowellThe information requested is given in the table. The Department's goals and objectives for ensuring recruitment from all sections of the community were published by the Government on 25 May in "Quangos: Opening Up Public Appointments 1999–2002" copies of which are available in the Library.
The names of those appointed as chairman as at 1 March 1998 are listed in the Departmental Public Appointments Annual Report 1998, copies of which are available in the Library. Information as at 1 April 1999 will be published shortly and copies of the 1999 Annual Report will be placed in the Library.
They show that between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 1999, 13.1 per cent. of all appointments made were to people from an ethnic minority background while 42W 48.1 per cent. were to women. This compares with 10.7 per cent. and 45.5 per cent., during the previous 12 month period.
Appointments made by gender and ethnicity between 1978–98 and 1998–99 Appointments made between 1 April 1997–31 March 1998 Appointments made between 1 April 1998–31 March 1999 All posts White Male 555 658 Female 487 620 Ethnic minority Male 77 106 Female 48 87 Total male 632 764 Total female 535 707 Chairman White Male 106 146 Female 62 89 Ethnic minority Male 6 8 Female 2 4 Total male 112 154 Total female 64 93