To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the number of (i) male and (ii) female employees, (b) the number of officials employed at each of the principal grades and the numbers and percentages of women employed at these grades and (c) the number of staff employed at administration grades and the number and percentage of these staff that are women, in his Department and each of its executive agencies for each year since 1985. [35664]

The information is not available in the form requested but details by grade and gender for the Department as a whole, including executive agencies, can be found in table 5 of "Civil Service Statistics" for each year from 1985 to 1994—copies are available in the Library. Details for 1995 will be published later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department has taken to encourage the promotion of women into senior positions within his Department and its executive agencies. [35675]

The Home Office is committed to the implementation of the Office of Public Service and Science programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity for women in the civil service. In line with the programme, the Department monitors regularly the number of women in each grade, their annual report markings and their performance on promotion boards. Career breaks, flexible working arrangements and subsidised child care are available to assist women who want to combine work with domestic responsibilities. The Home Office is also a founder member of Opportunity 2000, which aims to increase opportunities for women and promote the achievement of a balanced work force.