§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in which areas of public service and activity(a) illiteracy and (b) mental ill health are a disqualification from participation. [159341]
§ Mr. AlexanderRecruitment to the Civil Service and for public appointments is based on merit. Within the framework laid down by the Civil Service Order in Council 1995 and the Civil Service Commissioner's Recruitment Code, departments and agencies have the authority to prescribe qualifications for appointment to positions in their organisations in relation to age, 43W knowledge, ability, professional attainment, aptitude, potential, health and coping with the demands of the job.
Under the Civil Service Management Code, departments and agencies must ensure that their recruitment systems deliver recruits who are appropriate to their needs and who are able to do the work required subject to reasonable adjustments under the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
When making public appointments, departments are required to follow the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice to ensure appointment on merit. Criteria for selection can take account of the need to appoint boards that include a balance of skills and background.