§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make it her policy to abolish the Equal Opportunities Commission. [6807]
§ Mrs. GillanNo.
§ Mrs. WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many members currently serve on the Equal Opportunities Commission; and how many of these are(a) men and (b) women. [6803]
§ Mrs. GillanAt present, there are 11 commissioners. Eight are women and three are men.
§ Mrs. WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what percentage of the employees of the Equal Opportunities Commission are(a) male and (b) female. [6801]
Name Other relevant positions Date appointed Appointment expires Kamlesh Bahl Consultant; Lawyer 14 June 1993 13 June 1996 Diane Brittan Chair, Community Industry; Deputy Chair, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority 1 January 1988 31 December 1996 Joan Stringer Assistant Principal, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, member of the Higher Education Quality Council 18 April 1995 17 April 1998 Robert Fleeman Director, Fleeman Cooper and Smaller Businesses Advisory Services Ltd; Industrial Tribunal member 1 December 1994 30 November 1997 Richard Grayson Retired BP Company Secretary; member CBI Companies Committee 1 December 1994 30 November 1997 Noreen Bray Director, Good Relations Ltd 1 September 1990 31 August 1996 Cecilia Wells Consultant in Human Resource Management 1 January 1991 31 December 1996 Anne Gibson National Officer, Union for Manufacturing, Science and Finance 1 May 1991 30 April 1997 Mary Berg Industrial Economist 13 June 1994 12 June 1997 Peter Smith General Secretary, Association of Teachers and Lecturers 13 June 1994 12 June 1997 Elizabeth Symons General Secretary, Association of First Division Civil Servants; member of the Employment Appeal Tribunal 1 November 1995 31 October 1998 Appointments are made by the Secretary of State on the basis of a candidate's overall fitness to serve a Commissioner.
§ Mrs. WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment to what extent the Equal Opportunities Commission operates an equal opportunities policy; and to what extent the employee gender profile is taken into account in this matter. [6802]
§ Mrs. GillanThe Equal Opportunities Commission operates an equal opportunities policy and keeps it under review. An equal opportunity statement is placed in all advertisements for posts. The commission's recruitment practices are designed to ensure that no groups are unfairly excluded from applying for posts and that appointments are made solely on merit.
§ Mrs. WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many cases in the last year for which figures are available were brought or supported by the Equal Opportunities Commission in which discrimination was alleged against(a) women and (b) men. [6806]
§ Mrs. GillanIn 1995 the Equal Opportunities Commission brought or supported 94 cases, of which 82 alleged discrimination against women and 12 alleged discrimination against men.
980W
§ Mrs. GillanA total of 30—17.6 per cent.—of the commission's employees are men and 140—82.4 per cent.—are women.
§ Mrs. WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the total level of public funding for the Equal Opportunities Commission in(a) the current and (b) the next financial year. [6805]
§ Mrs. GillanThe Equal Opportunities Commission's grant in aid for 1995–96 is £6,156,000. In 1996–97 grant in aid is £5,820,650.
§ Mrs. WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the individuals who currently serve on the Equal Opportunities Commission, indicating in each case the date and duration of their appointment, together with any other relevant positions which they hold, and the basis of the experience or qualification on which that appointment was made. [6804]
§ Mrs. GillanThe information is set out in the following table: