SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE BECOMING MORE DIVERSE
(22 April 2004)

The Senior Civil Service continues to become more diverse according to new figures released today. All figures have increased since April 1998 in particular, improvements have been made covering representation of staff from ethnic minority backgrounds and the number of women employed in top management posts. Civil Service Staffing Figures for October 2003 and Cabinet Office Data (October 2003) indicate that:

* 23.9% of those in the very top management posts are women (up from 12.7% in April 1998);
* 27.5% of the Senior Civil Service are women
(up from 17.8% in April 1998);
* 3.2% of staff at Senior Civil Service level are from minority ethnic backgrounds (up from 1.6% in April 1998);
* 1.7% of staff at Senior Civil Service level are disabled (up from 1.5% in April 1998).

Comparisons made with non-government sector show that the Government is doing well covering representation of women at senior levels. * 24.7% of board members in main Civil Service departments are women, compared with 8.6% of female-held seats on the boards of FTSE 100 companies (Cranfield University 2003).

The Government has made a commitment to ensure the Senior Civil Service becomes more open and diverse to reflect all UK communities and to build better leadership capacity.

The Civil Service is making good progress to meet its targets to double the numbers of staff from under-represented groups in the Senior Civil Service by 2005. The analysis of progress against the targets takes account of the long-term trends rather than short-term data patterns. In particular, the good progress being made to employ minority ethnic staff and women in top management positions. Further progress is needed to meet the targets on women and disabled staff in the Senior Civil Service and a number of programmes have been put into place to address these issues.

These actions include:

* Building up the talent pools of women in the Civil Service: Women are being specifically targeted to raise awareness of recruitment and secondment opportunities at senior levels;

* Programmes to encourage more disabled staff: Twenty six disabled staff with potential for the SCS have been selected for the 2004 Civil Service Bursary Scheme - a two year programme of training, development, networking and mentoring;

* Improving the quality of data on the numbers of disabled staff: Ensuring regular re-surveying of staff. Action is also being taken to address the cultural issues that mitigate against staff declaring any disability in surveys;

* Programmes to encourage more minority ethnic staff across the Service: Continue to encourage minority ethnic staff through 'Pathways' Programme - set up for minority ethnic staff with the potential to reach the SCS. Evaluation of Pathways shows that almost a third of participants have been promoted;

* A network of individual departmental Diversity Champions will be launched in the summer of 2004: Their role will be to share good practice and pick up the pace of change;

* The appointment of a new Senior Adviser on Diversity and Equality by June 2004: This position will be based in the Cabinet Office to support departments in taking action on these issues.

Douglas Alexander, Cabinet Office Minister said: 'The Government is committed to making the Civil Service more reflective of the communities we serve and recognises the need for sustained work to achieve this. I am pleased that the Civil Service continues to make progress in addressing the under-representation of women and minority ethnic staff at senior levels of the Civil Service.'

In 1998 the Government made a commitment to ensure that the Civil Service becomes for open and diverse, by achieving by 2004-05 the agreed targets of:

* 35% Senior Civil Service (SCS) to be women;
* 25% of top 600 posts to be filled by women;
* 3.2% of the SCS to be from ethnic minority backgrounds;
* 3% of the SCS to be people with disabilities.

Further information on diversity in the Civil Service can be found at: www.diversity-whatworks.gov.uk

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