The annual competition for serving civil servants wishing to join the Fast Stream again proved a valuable source of talent. Of those shortlisted by their departments to attend the Fast Stream Assessment Centre in 2008, 45.4 per cent were successful, compared with 52.5 per cent in 2007. Of the successful candidates, 38.9 per cent were women, 13.0 per cent were from an ethnic minority and 1.9 per cent were disabled.