SCOTLAND'S most senior civil servant has been told she presides over "one of the most chronically under-representative organisations in our country".

Labour MSP Anas Sarwar challenged Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans on the issue during a meeting of the Public Audit Committee.

She conceded there is "much more to do" but said action is being taken to address issues such as the under-representation of black and minority ethnic (BAME) people in the civil service.

Sarwar is one of just four BAME MSPs to have been elected in the 21 years of devolution – with Holyrood never having had a female BAME representative.

The Glasgow MSP recently became the first BAME chairman of a Scottish Parliament committee, taking over the role of convener of the Public Audit Committee on an interim basis while his Labour colleague Jenny Marra is on maternity leave.

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He told Evans: "I welcome the signs of solidarity that you and others in the Scottish Government have shown in taking the knee and in showing solidarity with minority communities.

"But to be frank it will be actions that people will judge the Scottish Government on and officials on, rather than their words."

Evans told him: "Yes I agree we have much more to do."

Speaking in the wake of recent Black Lives Matters demonstrations across the UK, including in Scotland, and the day after MSPs debated the issue in Holyrood, she said she has "redoubled" her efforts and "focused the organisation even more sharply on this".

The Permanent Secretary told Sarwar: "I'll give you a couple of examples. We have done a lot of work in trying to ensure that our recruitment – when we are able to externally recruit – reflects the diversity of Scotland and the diversity and inclusion policies of the organisation.

"So we have done quite practical things there in terms of where we recruit, how we attract people, bringing people into the organisation before they decide to apply for a job to see whether it will work for them or not, how we are opening up our interest to schools and universities and modern apprentices, our graduate development scheme.

"Those large-scale external recruitments have attracted a much more diverse set of applicants than we have previously had.

"We now have the highest level of minority ethnic colleagues in senior civil service than we've ever had ... it's gone from 3% to 4% in senior civil service."

She added this is "not enough" but shows "it is working".

Evans added mentoring is being done "encouraging people to move up and through the organisation".

She added: "More broadly, what I am particularly keen on – and have been emphasising in my own communications and my challenge to the organisation – is how we ensure that our policy-making, our work for the national performance framework, that we really are hearing all the voices."