DIVERSITY
31. In our previous two reports on the Departmental
Report we discussed the issue of staff diversity. We noted that
Defra had set itself targets for the recruitment and retention
of female employees, staff from ethnic minority backgrounds and
those with disabilities.[64]
Whilst we congratulated the Department for meeting its targets
at junior grades, we urged Defra to do more in order to meet its
diversity targets relating to Senior Civil Service (SCS) and Grade
6 posts.[65]
32. Table 2 sets out the figures provided in this
year's Departmental Report relating to the proportion of female
employees, staff from ethnic minority backgrounds and those with
disabilities in SCS and Grade 6 posts. The table also shows the
figures for last year, and Defra's 2005 targets.
Table 2: Proportion of women, people from
ethnic minority backgrounds and people with disabilities in Defra
Senior Civil Service and Grade 6 posts
| | Women (%)
| Ethnic minority (%)
| Disabled (%) |
| | 2004
| 2005 | 2005 target
| 2004 | 2005
| 2005 target
| 2004 | 2005
| 2005 target
|
| Senior Civil Service | 25
| 30 | 30
| 2 | 3
| 4 | 1
| 1 | 3
|
| Grade 6 | 26
| 34 | 30
| 1 | 2
| 4 | 4
| 4 | 3
|
33. The figures show there has been considerable improvement in
the last year in the proportion of female employees in senior
grades. The target of 30% of female employees in SCS grades by
2005 has been met. However, the Departmental Report shows very
little change in the figures for staff from ethnic minorities
and people with disabilities.[66]
In its supplementary written evidence, Defra told us that improvements
had been made since the publication of the Departmental Report.
Recent data showed the 3% target relating to people with disabilities
had now been met within the core Department, and there had been
"substantial progress" against the core Department's
target for ethnicity.[67]
Defra explained that the inclusion of staff data for the Executive
Agencies had a "downward influence on the figures".[68]
There was "greater under-representation of minority groups"
in these organisations due to their "size, location and specialist
nature which impose restrictions on the pools from which they
can recruit staff".[69]
The Department also said there were problems of "under-declaration",
with staff failing to complete a disability or ethnicity questionnaire.[70]
It told us a number of measures were being introduced to improve
declaration rates, such as the introduction of self-service elements
to the electronic human resources system, which would allow individuals
to declare a disability "without reference to managers or
Human Resources staff". [71]
34. We congratulate Defra on meeting its target
of 30% female employees in Senior Civil Service (SCS) level grades
by 2005, and are pleased that progress has been made since the
publication of the Departmental Report in improving the proportion
of SCS level staff from ethnic minority groups and with disabilities.
Nevertheless, we remain concerned at the under-representation
of minority groups in Defra's Executive Agencies, when compared
to the core Department. We recommend Defra focuses specifically
on improving the proportion of SCS level staff from these groups
in its Executive Agencies.
33 
