§ Dr. HendronTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total amount of legal costs incurred by each of the Northern Ireland health boards in defending cases involving sexual and religious discrimination.
§ Mr. AncramThe total amount of legal costs incurred by each of the Northern Ireland health and social services boards in defending cases involving sexual and religious discrimination is not known since the majority of cases are still on-going and the costs incurred have not yet been established. The figures in the table represent only those legal fees which have actually been paid during the last three years.
§ Mr. AncramThe total money spent by each of the Northern Ireland health and social services boards in settling legal cases taken against the board involving sexual discrimination is shown in the table.
£ Eastern 173,085 Northern Nil Southern Nil Western 12,150 1 Includes £49,468 on joint gender/religious discrimination cases.
§ Dr. HendronTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Department of Health will order an investigation into the employment policies of the Northern Ireland health boards.
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§ Mr. AncramHealth and social services boards are subject to selection and appointment procedures which were issued by the Department of Health and Social Services in June 1991. The HSS boards then have detailed policies to supplement and clarify for their staff the application of the selection and appointment procedures. The Department is satisfied these purposes are fair to all staff.
The health and social services boards also have comprehensive policies in respect of other aspects of employment including equal opportunities, sexual harassment, job sharing, career breaks and employment of disabled people. These policies take into account guidance from other agencies such as the FEC and the EOC.
The Management Executive instituted a review of the selection and appointment procedures in November 1993 and all interested organisations—health and social services boards, health and social services trusts, staff, professional interests, the Farr Employment Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission were invited to contribute to the review.
The Department has looked carefully at existing practice. It is conscious that isolated problems have arisen in respect of the implementation of this policy but is confident that the procedures remain valid and therefore sees no requirement for an investigation.
§ Dr. HendronTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money in total has been spent by each of the last Northern Ireland health boards in settling legal cases taken against the board involving religious discrimination.
§ Mr. AncramThe total money spent by each of the Northern Ireland health and social services boards in settling legal cases taken against the board involving religious discrimination is shown in the table.
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Year lodged Number withdrawn Settled out of court Settled in court Pending Total Legal costs £ Compensation £ Eastern Board (1) Gender cases 1991 — 9 — 1 10 1,762 10,000 1992 6 4 — 1 11 4,188 10,750 1993 1 3 — 6 10 10,999 11,768 (2) Religious cases 1991 3 3 — 1 7 6,081 25,000 1992 8 5 — 7 20 5,734 65,000 1993 5 — — 6 11 176 20,000 Northern Board (1) Gender cases 1991 — — — 1 1 — — 1992 1 — — 2 3 — — 1993 1 — 11 3 5 — — (2) Religious cases 1991 2 — — 1 3 — — 1992 — — — 2 2 7,050 5,000 1993 1 — — 1 2 10,553 47,500 Southern Board (1) Gender cases 1991 — — — — 0 — — 1992 — — — — 0 — — 1993 — — — 3 3 — —
£ Eastern 1121,991 Northern 52,500 Southern Nil Western 19,646 1 Includes £49,468 on joint gender/religious discrimination cases.
§ Dr. HendronTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of religious discrimination are currently pending against each of the Northern Ireland health boards.
§ Mr. AncramThe number of religious discrimination cases currently pending against each of the Northern Ireland health and social services boards is as follows:
Number Eastern 14 Northern 7 Southern 4 Western 6
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish tables showing for each health and social services board in Northern Ireland the(a) number of complaints made in each of the last three years about discrimination on the grounds of (i) gender and (ii) religion, (b) the number of each category (1) withdrawn, (2) settled out of court and (3) settled at a court hearing, and the (x) costs and (y) compensation paid in respect of each category in each such year.
§ Mr. AncramThe information is as follows:
The majority of the cases are still on-going and consequently the legal costs incurred have not yet been established. The figures in the tables showing legal costs represent only those legal fees which have actually been paid over the last three years.
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Year lodged Number withdrawn Settled out of court Settled in court Pending Total Legal costs £ Compensation £ (2) Religious cases 1991 3 — — — 3 — — 1992 1 — — 2 3 — — 1993 1 — — 2 3 — — Western Board (1) Gender cases 1991 1 3 — 4 8 — 1,950 1992 — 1 1 1 3 1,292 3,200 1993 1 — — 2 3 — 7,000 (2) Religious cases 1991 8 1 — 1 10 585 — 1992 1 — — 2 3 — — 1993 — — — 2 2 1,322 7,000 1 Board dismissed.
§ Dr. HendronTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Eastern health board took to implement the recommendations laid down by the Fair Employment Commission in the remedies judgment following the Duffy case.
§ Mr. AncramThe FEC did not make any recommendations in the remedies judgment following the Duffy case. However, the board's internal inquiry made a series of recommendations which were subsequently adopted by the board.