HC Deb 23 March 1993 vol 221 cc558-9W
Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the annual cost of monitoring the religious affiliation of the employees of(a) the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, (b) the water service in Northern Ireland and (c) employees of the Western health and social services board;

(2) what is the annual cost of monitoring the religious affiliation of the employees of the Department of Education headquarters.

Mr. Mates

The information cannot be provided in the form requested, as these bodies monitor gender and disability of their employees as well as religious affiliations and it is not possible to separate costs purely attibutable to the religious aspect.

The following information is available, however:

  1. (a) The chief executive of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has advised me that the cost of all monitoring during 1991–92 was £26,000.
  2. (b) The annual costs of equal opportunities monitoring in the Western health and social services board is £54,300.
  3. (c) Monitoring for the whole of the Northern Ireland civil service is undertaken centrally by the equal opportunities unit, located in the Department of Finance and Personnel, but is not undertaken on a departmental, functional or geographical basis. The annual running costs for the equal opportunities unit which also has responsibility for developing, formulating, co-ordinating and monitoring the equal opportunities policy for the whole of the Northern Ireland civil service is £230,000.

Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the annual cost of monitoring the religious affiliation of the employees of the Northern Ireland Office who work in Belfast.

Mr. Mates

With regard to the annual cost of monitoring the religious affiliation of Northern Ireland civil servants working for the Northern Ireland Office, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him today. The cost of monitoring home civil servants is negligible.

Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the annual cost of monitoring the religious affiliation of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

Mr. Mates

The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the annual cost of monitoring the religious affiliation of the employees of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland.

Mr. Mates

Monitoring of the religious affiliation of the employees of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland is undertaken centrally by the Northern Ireland civil service equal opportunities unit. I would therefore refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him today.