HL Deb 16 December 1996 vol 576 cc103-4WA
Lord Stoddart of Swindon

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether any Civil Service departments acting alone or in conjunction with the Equal Opportunities Commission have operated recruitment schemes involving a policy of positive discrimination which is unfair to men.

Earl Howe

No. Under the Civil Service Order in Council 1995 the policy on recruitment to the Civil Service is that it must be in accordance with the principle of selection on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether any disciplinary action has been taken against officials in the Civil Service and the Commission for Racial Equality, who operated a discriminatory recruiting scheme which disadvantaged Ms Joy Neame and other white candidates for the Civil Service and which could involve the taxpayer in additional expenditure to meet compensation claims, and, if so, what that action is.

Earl Howe

No such action has been taken. Miss Lucy Neame's case was settled out of court without prejudice to the Civil Service's position. There has been no finding of racial discrimination by the Civil Service, whose policy is that there must be no unfair discrimination in their recruitment practices.