HC Deb 29 March 1999 vol 328 cc509-10W
Mr. Vaz

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will provide a breakdown, in numerical and percentage terms, of the ethnic origin, at 1 March, of (a) his private office, (b) Government special advisers, (c) his Policy Unit and (d) staff in total. [78502]

Mr. Hoon

Information relating to ethnicity in the Lord Chancellor's Department is not usually given where numbers are small enough to enable identification of individuals. This practice complies with an agreement between the Trade Unions and the Department, and assurances given to staff when they are asked to provide the information. However, as the special adviser to the Lord Chancellor and all staff in my private office (irrespective of ethnic origin) have consented to provision of this information, and the Trade Unions have consented to publication, the information requested at(a) and (b) is set out in the table.

The Lord Chancellor's Department does not have a "Policy Unit" as referred to at (c).

The Minister for the Cabinet Office will provide the information requested at (d) for all departments.

Ethnic Origin Number Percentage
Minister of State's Private Office
White 3 50.00
Black—of Caribbean origin 1 16.67
Asian—of Indian origin 1 16.67
Asian—of Bangladeshi origin 1 16.67
Response rate 100.00
(b) Government special advisers
White 1 100.00
Response rate 100.00