§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Northern Ireland Office last conducted a survey of the ethnic origins of its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyIn June 1988 the home civil service completed a four-year programme of ethnic origin surveys covering all staff then in post. The Northern Ireland Office has continued to monitor staff who join the home civil service group in the Department and to update its records. The Northern Ireland Office is an equal opportunity employer and this is emphasised in all recruiting 463W campaigns and advertising. The Northern Ireland civil service is not required to monitor the ethnic origins of staff, nor has it plans to do so.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of officers in each grade (1 to 7) and overall in the Northern Ireland Office are(a) women and (b) from ethnic minorities, respectively.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe Northern Ireland civil service employs 12,416 female staff which constitutes 42 per cent. of the service. The Northern Ireland office—NIO—now employs 86 women in the Home Civil Service—HCS—staff group which constitutes 43.6 per cent. of the total.
The detailed information sought is as follows:
Grade Number of females Percentage NICS HCS NICS HCS 1 — — — — 2 — — — — 3 1 — 2.5 — 4 — — — — 5 14 — 7.6 — 6 51 — 28.4 — 7 74 3 8.3 5 Twenty-one full-time members and one part-time member of staff—11 per cent.—in the home civil service group of the NIO are from ethnic minorities. The Northern Ireland civil service is not required to monitor the ethnic origins of its staff.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at the Northern Ireland Office.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe home civil service and the Northern Ireland civil service are fully committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for all applicants including any from ethnic minorities. The Northern Ireland Office is an equal opportunity employer and this is emphasised in all our recruiting campaigns and advertising. If direct recruitment for certain senior posts in the NIO were to be necessary, it would be conducted with guidance from the Civil Service Commission. Within Northern Ireland itself, religion is a more significant equality of opportunity consideration than ethnic origin. Consequently the Northern Ireland civil service has not taken any specific action to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment.