§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North,Official Report, 20 January, columns 335–36, if he will identify those recommendations contained in paragraphs 15.5 to 15.123 of the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights' "Report on Fair Employment" (Cm. 237) which have been incorporated (a) in full and (b) in part in the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Bill 1988, indicating in which clauses of the Bill they can be found.
§ Mr. ViggersAn analysis of the kind requested would be inappropriate given the complexity of the issues involved. The Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Bill reflects those recommendations of the SACHR report which relate to the meaning of discrimination and equality of opportunity, the scope of new legislation, the encouragement of equality of opportunity in practice, new institutional arrangements, the conduct of strategic investigations and new duties on employers to monitor the religious composition of their work force. In addition, the Government fully endorses the SACHR's general principles on the provision of equality of opportunity. The Bill's provisions dealing with the registration and certification of employers, the enforcement powers of the fair employment tribunal and the disqualification of employers from public sector grants and contracts reflect concerns expressed by SACHR, but address the issues by means different from those recommended in the report.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will publish the proposed code of practice refered to in the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) bill 1988 two clear sitting days before the Second Reading of the Bill.
§ Mr. ViggersNo. The code will be drawn up by the Fair Employment Commission, and will therefore be available until the commission has been established. However, I intend to make available before Committee stage a preliminary draft of the revised "Guide to Effective Practice", which will serve as the first code once the Bill receives Royal Assent.
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§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to publish the drafts of seven sets of regulations referred to in the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Bill 1988.
§ Mr. ViggersIt is not normal practice to publish drafts of subordinate legislation of this kind. However, I expect to be able to inform the House during Committee stage of the likely content of the main regulations referred to in the Bill.