§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the President of the Council if she will list the ethnic backgrounds of applicants for a people's peerage. [150918]
§ Mrs. BeckettI understand that the information requested is as follows:
- Indian origin—4 per cent.
- Pakistan origin—2 per cent.
- Bangladeshi—less than 1 per cent.
- East African—less than 1 per cent.
- Chinese—less than 1 per cent.
- Other Asian—1 per cent.
- Caribbean—1 per cent.
- African—1 per cent.
- Other Black origin—less than 1 per cent.
- White—85 per cent.
- Other ethnic origin—2 per cent.
- Not Specified—1 per cent.
The 15 per cent. non-white applications compares with 2.6 per cent. ethnic minority representation in the present House of Lords, and 5.5 per cent. in the population as whole.