HC Deb 18 December 1995 vol 268 cc963-4W
Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have been brought or supported by the Commission for Racial Equality in the last year for which figures are available in cases where bias in favour of(a) white applicants by white employers, (b) black applicants by black employers and (c) Asian applicants by Asian employers was alleged; and if he will make a statement. [6942]

Mr. Kirkhope

This information is not recorded centrally by the Commission for Racial Equality and could he obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will name the members of the Commission for Racial Equality; if he will indicate in each case the date and duration of appointment and the ethnic background; and if he will make a statement on the qualities, experience or other position which made the individual suitable for such appointment. [6940]

Mr. Kirkhope

The posts of commissioner at the Commission for Racial Equality are the personal appointment of my right hon. and learned Friend. They are initially appointed for a two-year period with the possibility of further extensions up to a total of five years.

The current commissioners are:

Name Appointed Until
Mr. Herman Ouseley 19 April 1993 18 April 1998
Dr. Raj Chandran 1 January 1993 31 December 1996
Mr. Michael Hastings 1 May 1993 30 April 1997

Name Appointed Until
Mr. Bob Purkiss 1 May 1993 30 April 1997
Dr. Dwain Neil 1 May 1993 30 April 1997
Mrs. Marie Cunnigham 1 May 1993 30 April 1997
Dr. Zaka Khan 1 May 1993 30 April 1997
Mrs. Zahida Manzoor 22 November 1993 31 March 1997
Mr. Moussa Jogee 1 September 1994 31 August 1997
Mrs. Julie Mellor 31 October 1995 30 October 1997
Mr. Hugh Hams 1 January 1995 31 December 1996
Mrs. Jaslien Singh 1 January 1995 31 December 1996

Details of commissioners' backgrounds are set out in the Commission for Racial Equality's annual report, the most recent copy of which was published on 6 June 1995; a copy has been placed in the Library.

Mrs. Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 November,Official Report, column 215, about the ethnic profile of employees of the Commission for Racial Equality, what assessment he has made of the consistency of that profile with a policy of appointment by merit in the context of statistical likelihood. [6943]

Mr. Kirkhope

I have no reason to think that the current profile is inconsistent with the commission's equal opportunities policy towards the job applications it receives.

Mrs. Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases have been brought or supported by the Commission for Racial Equality in the last year for which figures are available against employers on the basis that the ethnic profile of their employees was such as to be inconsistent with the appointments made purely on merit; in how many other cases such a profile was a significant factor in the commission's case; and if he will make a statement. [6941]

Mr. Kirkhope

None of the cases brought or supported by the commission against employers in the last year was on the basis that the ethnic profile of their employees was such as to be inconsistent with appointments made purely on merit.

Information on whether such a profile has been a significant factor in other cases could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.