 under the title 'Time for Change, Black History Month 2022' and was written by a member of the civil service at the Treasury. The note also lauded a new pilot scheme by the EDN 'offering targeted one-off support for ethnically diverse staff in completing job applications'. 'Relentless focus' on physical characteristics A Treasury source said: 'As someone who comes from a diverse background, I am deeply uncomfortable with race targets, and the implied idea that you need to see someone in a senior role to aspire to promotion.' 'Targeting help exclusively to people from one ethnic background is also seriously concerning.' 'I know white working-class people in the Treasury without university education who are looking to leave because of the perception everyone is from top universities; who will help them?' Ben Bradley, the Conservative MP, told The Telegraph: 'As ever I find the relentless focus on the diversity of physical characteristics rather than of background and experience to be infuriating.' 'Surely the key thing the Treasury should focus on in hugely challenging times for our country and economy is having the best people, regardless of th){kind=link}
Latest census data show just 3.3 per cent of people in England and Wales are black, meaning new target is twice the UK population as a whole
The Treasury will aim to have six per cent of its staff come from black backgrounds as they set a representational target for the ethnic group for the first time.
The latest census data from 2011 shows just 3.3 per cent of people in England and Wales are black, meaning the Treasury’s new target is two times larger than the UK population as a whole.
Last week a memo appeared on the department’s intranet service for civil servants, saying “for the first time in the department’s history, the Treasury introduced a new black staff representational target of 6% at all grades”.
A government source said the new target was set over the summer, and that other departments including the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have similar initiatives.