One of the biggest Whitehall departments is having a ‘depressing’ struggle recruiting black and minority ethnic lawyers, according to its legal chief.

All 30 successful candidates in an anonymised recruitment exercise at the Communities and Local Government (CLG) department last year were white, Fred Croft, acting director and legal adviser, told the Gazette.

Of around 70 lawyers working at the CLG, six (8.6%) are from minority ethnic groups, Croft said. The average across the Government Legal Service is 13%.

‘We cannot attract good BME candidates,’ Croft said. ‘It’s depressing. We are the department of communities. We ought to reflect communities we serve, and I do not think we do that yet.’

The Government Legal Service has 2,000 qualified lawyers and trainees employed in 30 departments, agencies and other public bodies. In recent years it has been more diverse than many other sectors.

However, the financial downturn has caused an upsurge in applications from the City, a sector where white males are predominant.

Croft predicted that the CLG department would see a surge of applicants this year. ‘It does tend to be cyclical and follow the job market.’

The department already advertises posts in BME publications as well as at recruitment fairs aimed at under-represented groups.

The Association of Muslim Lawyers said there is ‘huge concern’ among its members about the lack of representation in central government and called for research on the issue.