Mr. John D. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of the following employers in Northern Ireland were requested, prior to the nominated date of 15 January, to register with the Fair Employment Commission for Northern Ireland in accordance with the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989:(a) Xtra-vision Ltd, (b) The Bank of Ireland, (c) Irish Lights, (d) The Irish League of Credit Unions, (e) Irish National Foresters, (f) The Irish National Teachers Organisation, (g) The Irish Tourist Board, (h) Irish Life Assurance Co. Ltd, (i) Irish Transport and General Workers Union, (j) Irish Bonding Co. Ltd, (k) Bass Ireland Ltd and (l) Aer Lingus.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 16 January 1990]: Under the Fair Employment (NI) Act 1989 employers, with the exception of certain specified public sector employers, whose concerns satisfy the conditions for registration are obliged to apply for registration to the Fair Employment Commission within one month from 6 January 1990 or, if subsequently, from the time they first satisfy the condition for registration.
To assist registration the commission has issued application forms in advance to employers believed to have more than 25 employees, but it is under no obligation to do so and the duty to apply for registration rests firmly with employers.
The commission will not make public details of individual employers whom it has invited to register. Once initial registrations are made, however, the commission will keep a register, open to public inspection, of trades, businesses and other activities in which people are employed.