Mr. John David Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) why the equal opportunities unit of the Department of Finance and Personnel is asking civil servants to declare which primary or preparatory school they attended;
(2) if he has authorised making available confidential information in civil servants' personal files to the equal opportunities unit of the department of finance and personnel; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. BoysonI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Brandon-Bravo) on 4 December 1984 at column 97.
Staff who have not returned the questionnaire on primary schools attended are being sent reminders which indicate that it may be necessary as a last resort to seek the data on their personal files. In that event the personal file would be consulted by the officer's own personnel division, not by the equal opportunities unit.