§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements are in hand to ensure that his Department complies with the monitoring and positive action recommendations of the draft code of the Equal Opportunities Commission following the publication on 9 February 1984, of the programme of action on women in the Civil Service.
§ Dr. BoysonThe code of practice of the Equal Opportunities Commission will not apply to the Northern Ireland Civil Service. However, in respect of staff in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, a new joint management and trade union side equal opportunities committee is monitoring and reviewing all aspects of equal opportunities policy, including those which particularly affect women, such as recruitment, promotion, training, career development and opportunities for part-time working or job sharing.
In light of the committee's deliberations and following further consultation with the Equal Opportunities Commission in Northern Ireland, a document will be issued for the Northern Ireland Civil Service corresponding to the programme of action on women in the Civil Service.
In respect of the Home Civil Service, existing joint management and trade union machinery is being used at departmental and national level to review such matters as promotion, selection for training and the incidence of part-time working.