§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British ambassadors and high commissioners on 1 January in each of the last 10 years were(a) women and (b) members of an ethnic minority; and if he will express the number in each category as a percentage of the total number of ambassadors and high commissioners. [132501]
§ Mr. HainThe number of women who were British Ambassadors or High Commissioners on the 1 January in the past 10 years is as follows:
Year Number Percentage 1990 3 2.4 1991 3 2.3 1992 2 1.5 1993 3 2.2 1994 3 2.2 1995 3 2.2 1996 5 3.5 1997 7 4.9 1998 7 4.9 1999 7 4.9 2000 7 4.9 On 1 January 1994 and 1 January 1995 one Ambassador (0.7 per cent.) was of minority ethnic origin.