To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many and what percentage of employees in his private office are (a) of Asian origin and (b) of Afro-Caribbean origin. [8958]

In the whole of the private office for all Ministers, the total number of employees, including support grades and typists, who have declared their ethnic origin through voluntary and confidential surveys as Asian are eight, or 7.4 per cent., and as Afro-Caribbean seven, or 6.5 per cent. The combined percentage is 14 per cent.