asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the composition of the Government is representative of the community they serve, in terms of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and religious belief.[HL457]

The Civil Service is broadly representative of society in terms of gender and ethnicity: over half its employees are women and 8.1 per cent are from black and minority-ethnic backgrounds. Some 4.5 per cent of civil servants are disabled—up from 1 per cent in 1998. We are working to address under-representation at senior levels and have set targets, underpinned by a programme of action, to achieve those targets.