Public Appointments (Hansard, 14 February 2002)

§ Sandra Gidley
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) when his Department expects to publish departmental targets for the appointment of women to public bodies for(a) 2001–04 and (b) 2002–05; [35989]
(2) what percentage of those appointed to public bodies are women; and when the next set of figures will be released; [35990]
(3) what assessment his Department has made of progress by Departments towards their 1998 to 2001 targets for the appointment of women to public bodies. [35991]

§ Mr. Leslie
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given below to my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Dr. Stoate).

§ Dr. Stoate
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the Government will publish the next edition of "Public Bodies" and the annual publication setting out the targets for increasing diversity in public appointments; and if he will make a statement. [36683]

§ Mr. Leslie
I am pleased to report that the latest edition of "Public Bodies", "Public Bodies 2001", is published today. This publication provides detailed information on all public corporations, nationalised industries, health bodies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), including tribunals and boards of visitors to penal establishments, in existence at 31 March 2001. Specifically, the report sets out for each body:

Its location and terms of reference;

The name, gender and remuneration of the chair and deputy chair and the number of members of the board and their gender (where these positions exist);

The number of staff employed;

The audit arrangements and the financial year in which the body was last reviewed by Government; and

The body's total expenditure and the amounts funded by Government or by other means.

Public bodies play an important role in the processes of national government and the women and men who serve on them, and the staff of these bodies, make a very valuable and positive contribution to the continuous improvement of public services and also to better policy making.
The Government remain committed to minimising the number of NDPBs. As "Public Bodies 2001" shows that, at 31 March 2001, there were 1,025 public bodies, fewer than at any time since "Public Bodies" was first published in 1979.
In parallel with the continuing commitment to reduce the number of NDPBs, the Government also remain committed to ensuring that new NDPBs and other bodies are set up only where it can be demonstrated that this is the most cost-effective and appropriate means of carrying out the function concerned.
Finally, this Government also remain firmly committed to making appointments on merit to the boards of public bodies and to equality of opportunity with the aim of ensuring that the people who serve on public bodies are broadly representative of the diversity of the United Kingdom. To achieve this, the opportunity to play a part in public life by serving on a public body must be open 566W to all, whether or not they are disabled and irrespective of their age, ethnicity or gender as well as their geographical or social background. Women and men should hold an equal share of public appointments and a greater proportion of appointments should be held by people from ethnic minority backgrounds and disabled people.
We have made some progress towards these goals. At 31 March 2001 women held 34 per cent. of appointments to the bodies detailed in "Public Bodies 2001" and 4.8 per cent. were held by people from ethnic minority backgrounds; in both cases this is a small increase on the position at 31 March 2000. Similar information on the proportion of appointments held by disabled people is not yet available but it will be given in the next edition of "Public Bodies". There has been some continuing progress but there is more to do. I am therefore also pleased to announce that we have today published "Public Bodies: Opening Up Public Appointments 2002–2005", which sets out for each Department its plans for increasing the diversity of the boards of the public bodies for which it is responsible. These targets, and the activities aimed at ensuring that they are met and that our overall goals are achieved.
Copies of "Public Bodies 2001" and "Public Bodies: Opening up Appointments: 2002–2005" have been placed in the Libraries of the House. Both publications will be accessible via the Cabinet Office's internet website.