Birmingham Mail

What I can say is that the B'ham Mail has increased its BME staff by at least 500% in the last five years.

That said, %ages can sound too good. In reality, the actual number five years ago was very small, and so a 500% increase is not as impressive as it first sounds. Nevertheless, it is an increase, and one we are genuinely trying to further at each recruitment stage.

Furthermore, alongside full-time staff, our BME columnists have increased from one to four in the last two years.

We also have developed seven editions in the last two years, enabling the newspaper to use four pages per weekday in each of those seven editions to more specifically reflect the population in the area served by each edition. This has resulted in a much better platform for all communities, including BME communities in the Mail's Central City edition.

On top of this, the Faiths in Our City column, which has now been running for more than 12 months, has introduced a dozen new BME regular writers to the Mail.

Finally, in terms of questions about 'top level' representation, he appears to be asking about race and gender. In terms of BME top level staff, the current representation is only as high as senior reporter and columnist level, although over time this will progress.

In terms of gender, the Editor (that's me) is a male, the Deputy Editor is a female (for the first time ever on the Mail, since 2005). Other females are at the Chief Reporter, Deputy Features Editor and Diary Editor level (since this year, 2006 and again 2006 respectively, with the female Diary Editor previously serving as Features Editor for four years).

In summary, the B'ham Mail has improved markedly in recent years in terms of race and gender, but still has a long way to go.