§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many(a) Protestants and (b) Roman Catholics are employed at present by the Housing Executive in the grades or salary bands (i) PO2 and above, (ii) PO1 and (iii) P/T and 1–4, in each of the six housing areas or regions and in Belfast functional departments;
(2) how many (a) Protestants and (b) Roman Catholics are employed at present by the Housing Executive in the grades of director and assistant director within the central directorates of development; planning; finance; housing; and personnel and management services;
(3) how many (a) Protestants and (b) Roman Catholics are employed at present by the Housing Executive in the grades or salary bands PO2 and above in the department of the chief executive and in the departments of information and corporate planning.
§ Mr. NeedhamThese are matters for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I understand that the information requested is not currently available.
A report conducted by the Fair Employment Agency in October 1985 into the religious composition of the non-manual staff of the NIHE concluded that equality of opportunity was being provided. Following a recommendation of the FEA, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is currently undertaking a survey of its staff which is intended to provide a profile of its religious composition. It is anticipated that the report of this survey will be available by the end of the year.
§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) Protestants and (b) Roman Catholics employed by the Housing Executive in October 1985 have been transferred to different duties, or have resigned their employment, or have been dismissed in the grades or salary bands (i) PO2 and above, (ii) PO1 and (iii) P/T, 1–4, and what were the respective affiliations of their replacements in post in each case.
§ Mr. NeedhamThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive but I understand from the chief executive that the information requested is not available.
§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Catholic managers at grade or salary bands SOI and above have instituted grievance proceedings, or complaints to the Fair Employment Agency, or the Commissioner for Complaints, or have concluded or are pursuing legal proceedings against the House Executive in consequence of their failure to obtain promotion, or the loss or downgrading of their posts since the Fair Employment Agency report was published in October 1985; and what has been the total cost to the Housing Executive of defending such actions and making compensatory or out-of-court settlements.
§ Mr. NeedhamThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive but I understand from the chief executive that the information cannot be provided in the form requested. Details of cases raised by existing members of staff since October 1985 are as follows:
456W
Case and means of raising case Costs £ A—One individual In-house grievance procedure relating to failure to obtain promotion. 130 Finding:—No grievance to answer B—One individual Complaint to the Fair Employment Agency relating to failure to obtain promotion. Not yet determined Case continuing. C—Two individuals Legal proceedings relating to contract of employment case. 6,000 compensation, 9,433 legal costs Settled out of court. Legal proceedings relating to contract of employment. 2,918 to date Case continuing. These figures do not include in-house administration expenses relating to the investigations. These costs are not readily available and could only be determined at disproportionate cost.
§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the full list of organisations of which membership by its employees is proscribed by the Housing Executive on grounds of conflict of interest in any duties involving the planning or maintenance of housing, the planning or apportionment of financial expenditure, the management of tenant-occupied housing, or the recruitment, selection, management and training of employees.
§ Mr. NeedhamThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I understand from the chief executive that the Executive does not maintain a list of organisations of which employees may not hold membership.
§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Roman Catholic personnel or training staff have instituted actions against the Housing Executive since May 1983, through industrial tribunals or the civil courts on grounds of wrongful dismissal or breach of contract; in how many cases compensatory payments were made in preference to reinstatement; and what were the total legal costs involved in defending these actions on behalf of the Housing Executive and in paying compensation.
§ Mr. NeedhamThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I understand from the chief executive that four officers in the personnel/training section have initiated action against the Executive since May 1983 through a tribunal or civil court.
The Executive is unable to comment on the religious affiliation of the individuals concerned.
The Executive made a compensatory payment in lieu of re-engagement in one of these cases, as directed by the industrial tribunal.
The total costs involved including the compensatory payment amount to £51,644.75 to date.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints by year under the Fair Employment Act (Northern Ireland) Act 1976 have been discontinued by virtue of section 42 of the Act listing the employing body in each case.
457W
§ Mr. Viggers[holding answer 20 May 1988]: It is not the practice to release the names of parties in individual complaints. The following table shows by year the number of requests for the issue of a certificate under section 42 of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1976.
Year Number 1977–78 3 1978–79 1 1979–80 Nil 1980–81 1 2 1981–82 3 1 1982–83 1 1983–84 Nil 1984–85 3 1985–86 1 1 1 1986–87 0 1987–88 4 1 Two of these cases are now the subject of judicial review.