To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many and what percentage of civil servants in each of grades 1 to 7 in her Department are of (a) Asian origin and (b) Afro-Caribbean origin. [9565]

The figures for the DTI, on a headcount basis and excluding Executive Agencies, on 17 July 1997 are as follows:

	Asian origin		Afro Caribbean origin
Grade level	Number of respondents	Percentage	Number of respondents	Percentage
Senior Civil Service	0	0	0	0
Grades 6 and 7	8	1.2	1	0.15

The figures for grade levels include all equivalent grades. About 8 per cent. of staff have chosen not to respond to the Department's ethnic origin survey.