§ 7. Mr. LoydenTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to implement the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe Fair Employment Commission and the Fair Employment Tribunal are both in operation, and encouraging results have been achieved both in the registration of employers and in the provision of their first monitoring returns.
§ Mr. LoydenThe Minister will be aware that discrimination in employment contributes to division in any community, but particularly in Northern Ireland. In view of the success that has been achieved with registration and monitoring, when will the Minister be able to make his first report to the House?
§ Mr. NeedhamThe monitoring phase will be completed in the next couple of months and we shall make the results available as soon as we can. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his comments. The 1989 Act is in place and is working, and employers and employees are responding to it. I am sure that the atmosphere that it is creating will make it easier for all of us who are working together to attract more investment and jobs to the Province.
§ Mr. Peter RobinsonDoes the Minister realise how important it is that the information given by people to the Fair Employment Commission remains confidential? Was he disturbed to read, as I was, an article by Chris Ryder in a national newspaper saying that he had obtained access to the contents of a confidential investigation report by the Fair Employment Commission? As it is vital that such information is kept confidential, will the Minister order an inquiry, even to the extent of employing the RUC, to ask questions of the person in charge, Mr. Bill Cooper, and of his staff?
§ Mr. NeedhamI agree that if the 1989 Act is to work properly, confidential information must be kept confidential. I shall raise with the commission the matters that the hon. Gentleman has brought to my attention.