HC Deb 16 April 1996 vol 275 cc430-1W
Mr. John D. Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights was commissioned to review the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989; what research reports SACHR has commissioned; how much he expects the review to cost; and when SACHR's report is due to be published. [24529]

Sir Patrick Mayhew

An undertaking was given to this House that there would be a full review of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 after it had been operated for five years. In November 1994, I invited SACHR to assume responsibility for the review. Research projects commissioned by SACHR are as follows:

  1. (i) Vacancies, access to employment and long-term unemployment: three case studies.
  2. (ii) Specialist experience of FE legislation, the FEC and the FET: the experience of the Equality Forum.
  3. (iii) A review of the impact of TSN on public expenditure patterns and policy making in Northern Ireland.
  4. (iv) A review of the implementation and potential of PAFT.
  5. (v) A review of local councils' economic development activities.
  6. (vi) Long-term unemployment and the Community Work Programme in West Belfast.
  7. (vii) The impact of public sector job losses on employment equality.
  8. (viii) Public Attitudes to Fair Employment Issues; the Northern Ireland Social Attitudes Survey.
  9. (ix) Complainants' experiences of, and attitudes towards, FE legislation, the FEC and the FET.
  10. (x) A review of selected aspects of educational and training policy in Northern Ireland.
  11. (xi) The FEC as a regulatory and enforcement agency, Dr. Hilary Metcalf, Policy Studies Institute.
  12. (xii) A comparative review of 'fair employment'/equality of opportunity statutes and caselaw, affirmative action measures permitted adopted, in other jurisdictions, drawing comparisons with, and conclusions for, fair employment in Northern Ireland.
  13. (xiii) A Review of practice and procedure in the FET.
  14. (xiv) A critical review of the concept of 'fair participation'.
  15. (xv) A review of 'the Merit Principle'.
  16. (xvi) A paper reviewing FET case law.
  17. (xvii) To provide a critical response to the papers produced by projects 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 (`the legal group') together with an overview of the issues raised by all of them.
  18. (xviii) Change and continuity in the views of NI Political Parties and non-party organisation on employment equality issues and Fair Employment Legislation.
  19. (xix) Employers' experiences of, and attitudes towards, FE legislation, the FEC and the FET.

The cost of the review is as follows: 1995–96£422,000; 1996–97—£248,000.

Mr. Trimble

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many directions have been given under section 6 of the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989. [25237]

Mr. Ancram

A total of 344 directions were given between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 1995.