§ Mr. Beggsasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that the present survey of composition of staffing in the Northern Ireland Housing Executive being carried out by the Fair Employment Agency is accurate.
§ Mr. ButlerThe Fair Employment Agency is an independent body established by the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1976, and its survey of the composition of staffing in the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is being carried out under section 12 of that Act. I understand that the survey is progressing satisfactorily and that the agency does not foresee any particular difficulties as to its accuracy.
§ Mr. Beggsasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take action against those persons who can be proved to have provided false information to the Fair Employment Agency in connection with the survey of the composition of staffing in the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
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§ Mr. ButlerNo. The Fair Employment Agency obtains information under the powers of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1976 and any action in respect of false information is a matter for the agency. If the hon. Gentleman has any information concerning the validity of returns completed during the survey, he should draw it to the attention of the agency.
§ Mr. Beggsasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to the extent to which employees of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive have been advised not to indicate their religious denomination, whilst others have claimed to be Protestant in order to distort the finding of the Fair Employment Agency.
§ Mr. ButlerThe Fair Employment Agency's procedures for the investigation of the staffing of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive are being carried out with the consent of both management and the trade union. I have no information about any particular difficulties concerning this survey.