Fair Employment Act (Hansard, 18 January 1988)

§ Rev. Martin Smyth
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what statistics the Fair Employment Agency has gathered or been provided with on employment in the Post Office in Northern Ireland; and if he will place any information he has in the Library.

§ Mr. Viggers
The Fair Employment Agency is currently investigating the religious composition of the work force and the employment practices of the Post Office in Northern Ireland under section 12 of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1976. Any relevant employment statistics obtained for this purpose will eventually form part of a report of the investigation, when completed, but it is not the agency's practice to disclose such information beforehand in public.
When the report is published a copy will be placed in the Library.

§ Mr. McNamara
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff are presently provided222W by the Department of Economic Development to service (a)the industrial tribunals board and(b)the fair employment appeals board.

§ Mr. Viggers
[holding answer 12 January 1989]: There is no industrial tribunals board. However, the Department provides 15 staff to service industrial tribunals. These staff also service the fair employment appeals board.

§ Mr. Kevin McNamara
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the annual cost over the last 10 years of(a)the Industrial Appeals Tribunal and (b)the Fair Employment Appeal Boards in Northern Ireland.

§ Mr. Viggers
[holding answer 12 January 1989]: There is no industrial appeals tribunal. However, the annual cost over the last 10 years of(a)industrial tribunals is as follows:

Year Fees and expenses of president, chairman and panel members Departmental staff costs Totals

1979–80 64,000 n.a.

1980–81 110,000 n.a.

1981–82 165,000 n.a.

1982–83 189,000 n.a.

1983–84 203,000 n.a.

1984–85 202,000 n.a.

1985–86 243,000 n.a.

1986–87 276,000 129,000 405,000

1987–88 273,000 143,000 416,000

1988–89 ¹282,000 ¹170,000 452,000

¹ Estimate.

The figures for departmental staff costs for the years 1979–80 to 1985–86 are not readily available.
The total cost of(b)the fair employment appeals tribunal since its establishment is £500.

Year	Fees and expenses of president, chairman and panel members	Departmental staff costs	Totals
1979–80	64,000	n.a.
1980–81	110,000	n.a.
1981–82	165,000	n.a.
1982–83	189,000	n.a.
1983–84	203,000	n.a.
1984–85	202,000	n.a.
1985–86	243,000	n.a.
1986–87	276,000	129,000	405,000
1987–88	273,000	143,000	416,000
1988–89	¹282,000	¹170,000	452,000
¹ Estimate.