§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken, since the coming into effect of the code of the Commission for Racial Equality on 1 April, to ensure compliance by his Department and, in particular, in connection with the recommendations in respect of ethnic monitoring and of positive action, respectively.
§ Mr. Butler[pursuant to his reply, 26 April 1984, c.594]: In respect of the Home Civil Service, the policies and procedures of the Northern Ireland Office were reviewed before the Commission for Racial Equality's Code of Practice became operative, and additional guidance and instructions have been issued. An Equal Opportunity Officer has also been designated within the Department.
We have not carried out any ethnic monitoring either in the home or Northern Ireland Civil Services, but we shall consider further action once the results of surveys in the north-west and Avon announced by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Treasury, in the House on 24 March 1983 at column 465, have been evaluated. The kind of positive action the code recommends can be undertaken only where under-representation can be demonstrated.
The Race Relations Act does not apply to Northern Ireland.