17 December 1999
And the survey by the Employers' Employment Surveys Research Unit found only 1.3% of assistant directors or deputy chief officers and 1.6% of service heads are black.
Surprisingly, the Commission for Racial Equality was upbeat about the statistics. A spokesman said: 'At least we have some figures that tell us something. This is the first step and we need more of that monitoring.'
However, the CRE is fuming about the inertia in local government, despite its duty to promote racial equality.
The spokesman added: 'This is why we keep calling for an enforceable duty that works. There is a clear ceiling, not just in local government but across the economy, where non-white people are not moving up the management structure. It is disappointing that local government, in particular, has not overcome this barrier.'
A black local government officer, who did not wish to be named, said: 'It is very difficult to progress and there are no role models. When I attend meetings or conferences as part of my job, I am often the only black face in the room.
'It's very depressing. But the finance world as a whole is not very welcoming to ethnic minorities in general, and that needs to be addressed.'
PFdec1999
