The Civil Service has begun to increase the ethnic diversity of its senior
staff, according to the latest staffing figures.
They show that 2.4 per cent of senior civil service staff are from an ethnic
minority background – a 0.3 per cent rise on April.
The number of women and staff with a disability in senior ranks has also
increased, the Cabinet Office figures show.
Over a fifth of the most senior roles are now occupied by women, with the
number of senior women rising by 2.6 per cent to 24.2 per cent since April.
A range of measures have been introduced to help promote diversity.
Bursary schemes, surveys, training and a diversity awareness programme have
been set up in the service to help meet targets.
The Cabinet Office has also launched a Pathway project targeted at ethnic
minority staff with potential to rise to senior levels.
Richard Wilson, head of the home Civil Service, said, "These figures
represent a continual improvement in the diversity of the Civil Service in line
with our reform programme. But there is still a long way to go."
www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics
Diversity targets for 2004/5
Woman in senior civil service               35%
Woman in top 600 posts                      25%
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Ethnic staff in senior civil service           3.2%
Disabled staff in senior civil service       3%
