§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 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. [92518]
§ Mr. KilfoyleFor the purposes of this answer it includes appointments made by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and those made by the Prime Minister to public bodies for which the Cabinet Office is responsible.
The public bodies for which my right hon. Friend is responsible as Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster are: the Advisory Committee on Advertising; the Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside; the Better Regulation Task Force; the Civil Service Appeal Board and the People's Panel Advisory Group.
The Prime Minister appoints members to: the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; the Committee on Standards in Public Life; the Security Commission and Security Vetting Appeals Panel; the Political Honours Scrutiny Committee; the British Government Panel on Sustainable Development and the Senior Salaries Review Body. There are no ministerial appointments to positions in the Women's National Commission.
The details of appointments made are given in the table. However, while appointments have been made to women and members of ethnic minority groups I am unable, with the exception of gender information for the Advisory Committee on JPs, to disclose the numbers as to do so would risk identifying individuals without their consent.
Government on 25 May 1999 and deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. The plans set objectives and targets for improving representation of women, people from ethnic minority groups and from people with disabilities.