To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what percentage of employees in his private office are (a) of Asian origin and (b) of Afro-Caribbean origin. [8961]

The number of staff of Asian origin in private office is fewer than six and is therefore not shown, in accordance with the Department's agreed code of conduct on the use of ethnic monitoring data.The number of staff of Afro-Caribbean origin in the private office is seven. The percentage of staff of Afro-Caribbean origin in private office is 14 per cent. of those who have chosen to state their ethnic origin, 11 per cent. of the total number of staff.