HC Deb 17 December 1969 vol 793 cc1330-3
17. Mr. Heffer

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will state the estimated cost of work done by his Department in providing accommodation and services for Her Majesty's Armed Forces arising out of the recent emergency in Northern Ireland; and what representations he has received expressing dissatisfaction with the provisions made.

Mr. Loughlin

£162,000: I think it is generally appreciated that the Department has done a good job in difficult circumstances, and my right hon. Friend has received no representations of dissatisfaction.

Mr. Helfer

Is my hon. Friend aware of the fact that his Department has received a great deal of praise for the work it has done, especially from the rank and file of Servicemen, and not only from them but, in fact, from all those concerned with the emergency?

Mr. Loughlin

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for making that statement in this House. I was in Ireland recently and discussed with most of the Service chiefs, including General Freeland, the job of work which was done by my Department. I did not have to ask them; they volunteered praise for the whole of my Department. I had very great pleasure in meeting my right hon. Friend's staff and expressing that appreciation to them.

Captain Orr

Would the Minister be good enough to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the actual undertakings, and could he say how much of the work was done by private contract?

Mr. Loughlin

A considerable amount would have been done by private contract. Here we were dealing with an emergency, and all routine procedures had to go out of the window, and my technical officers, along with representatives of the Forces, had to get to work on buildings of all kinds—dilapidated buildings, old mills—and get contractors in straightaway. What proportion of the work was done by private contract I am not at the moment in a position to say. I doubt whether there would be any great advantage in listing in the OFFICIAL REPORT all the buildings we had to take over. I would do it, but I cannot see the advantage of doing it.

18. Mr. Heffer

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he is satisfied that no discrimination on the grounds of religion or race is permitted to apply in the engagement and promotion of workpeople by his Department in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Loughlin

Yes, Sir. The Department's recruitment and promotion procedures throughout the United Kingdom are based on the merit, qualifications, experience and general suitability of candidates for the posts concerned without any discrimination on grounds of religion or race.

Mr. Heffer

Can my hon. Friend say whether everything possible in Northern Ireland has been done to ensure that there is no discrimination in Northern Ireland as far as his Department is concerned?

Mr. Loughlin

I can assure my hon. Friend that, as far as it is possible to discover, there is no evidence that there has been in my Department any form of discrimination. To ensure that there could not be the possibility of criticism of any kind, we reviewed and strengthened the whole of the procedures, and I am now convinced that it would be very difficult indeed for anyone to criticise us on this matter.

Mr. Fitt

Would the Minister agree that it is of the utmost importance that his Department, and, indeed, all other Departments of this Government, should give a lead in this matter so that it can be shown that they are acting in a nondiscriminatory manner which will make it more difficult for other agencies in Northern Ireland, at local level and at Stormont, to carry out the practice of discrimination?

Mr. Loughlin

I will accept that it is the responsibility of Government Departments to give a lead in this matter. As far as my right hon. Friend and I are concerned, there will be no suspicion of any kind—at least, as long as we are in the Department—that anyone has been discriminated against on the question of religion.

Sir G. Nabarro

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the Ministry of Technology has now adopted the practice, when invitations to tender are sent out to private contractors, of drawing attention, on the invitations, to the requirements of the Race Relations Act? Is this general Government practice, and is it being done by the Ministry of Public Building and Works with invitations to tender in Northern Ireland?

Mr. Loughlin

Well, what the Question is about, of course, is—[Laughter.] I will deal with the supplementary question. The Question is about the recruitment and promotion of staff in our Department. I have answered that. I do not think the supplementary question arises as far as Northern Ireland is concerned.