Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many special advisers are employed by the Government; and how many such advisers are (a) women, (b) from black and ethnic minority communities and (c) registered disabled.

The Government is committed to publishing information about the cost of special advisers. Information on the numbers, costs and specific salaries of special advisers is therefore published on an annual basis.

The latest publication of this information can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486829/List_of_Special_Advisers_in_post_at_17_December_2015.pdf

Information on the numbers of Special Advisers employed by the Government is published annually. The most recent publication of this information can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486829/List_of_Special_Advisers_in_post_at_17_December_2015.pdf

Special Advisers are employees of the specific department they work for. Due to this, demographic information on Special Advisers is not centrally held.