HC Deb 29 March 1990 vol 170 cc311-2W
Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Londonderry, East of 20 March he will state whether the Fair Employment Commission has indicated that it will be bound by the agreement reached with the Fair Employment Agency.

Mr. Cope

[holding answer 23 March 1990]: The code of practice was agreed with the former Fair Employment Agency. The question of the agency or the new commission being bound by the code of practice does not arise.

The code of practice and the questionnaire used to collect the "religious affiliation" of Northern Ireland civil service staff gave an assurance to staff that such information would be treated confidentially. The code of practice states that the information will be used solely for the purposes of monitoring the policy on equal opportunities and on no account will statistical summaries be produced for any other purpose.

Exceptionally, the code of practice does provide for the release of information to the Fair Employment Commission in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities. Section 19 of the Fair Employment (NI) Act 1989 places regulations on the commission regarding the confidentiality of such information.

Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland further to his answer to the hon. Member for Londonderry, East of 8 February,Official Report, column 745, how many (a) Protestants and (b) Roman Catholics in each grade and section listed in that answer, the Fair Employment Commission must employ to comply with present requirements; and what percentage balance it is seeking to reach those targets.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer 20 March 1990]: The Fair Employment Acts 1976 and 1989 make preferential treatment of individuals of one religious belief or political opinion unlawful but affirmative action measures to encourage members of an under-represented group, including goals and timetables, are lawful. The commission has a target for its workforce and at a press conference in February 1989, the chairman of the then Fair Employment Agency said that the agency advertisements

Salmon-grilse catches in the River Bush
Number caught (angling in restricted stretches Number passing upstream Estimate number spawning Number of smolts Marine survival smolt to adult percentage
1980 246 973 783 20,503 12.0
1981 219 925 798 14,537 6.3
1982 224 850 741 10,779 10.4
1983 138 520 480 26,968 8.6
1984 87 1 1 30,009 1
1985 433 1,765 1,501 30,514 7.9
1986 519 2,584 2,271 19,066 9.8
1987 406 2,209 1,952 22,156 11.7

would specify that it is particularly interested in receiving applications from Protestants. He also said that for its support staff, the agency should have a target of 25 to 30 per cent. Catholic and 70 to 75 per cent. Protestant and that this was already being achieved. For operations staff the target was to achieve a Protestant share of applicants for each vacancy advertised of 50 to 55 per cent. and a target for the group as a whole of 50 to 55 per cent. Protestant and 45 to 50 per cent. Roman Catholic. The commission intends to publish information on the composition of its staff and the applicant flow when it has reached it full staffing complement later this year.

Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information the Fair Employment Commission has on religious affiliations of its present staff.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer 20 March 1990]: The commission is monitoring the community background of its applicants and staff in accordance with the provisions of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989. The commission intends to publish information on the composition of its staff and the applicant flow when it has reached its full staffing complement.

Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the Fair Employment Commission to reach its final staffing complement; and which posts at present remain unfilled.

Mr. Needham

[holding answer 20 March 1990]: The commission hopes to reach its full staffing complement by autumn 1990. At present, posts are unfilled in the following Northern Ireland civil service equivalent grades: one grade 6, two deputy principals (one of which is a research post), one staff officer (complaints), one administrative assistant and the chairman's personal secretary.

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