HC Deb 11 June 1996 vol 279 cc79-80W
Mr. Ian McCartney

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what safeguards are applied by his Department to ensure diversity of ethnic origin in the appointments to lay membership of industrial tribunals. [32026]

Mr. John M. Taylor

In making appointments, the Secretary of State is required to consult organisations representative of employers and employees. In the 1995 appointments exercise, as previously, such organisations were notified of the criteria for appointment and asked to encourage applications from the ethnic minorities. The Commission for Racial Equality was also asked to propose names for the organisations consulted to consider. The percentage of ethnic minority lay members rose to 4.6 per cent. after the 1995 appointments round, from 4.1 per cent. previously.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a breakdown of those people who applied for, but were not appointed to, lay membership of industrial tribunals in the 1995 round of appointments, by nominating body. [32023]

Mr. Taylor

The breakdown is as follows:

Bodies Numbers
Association of British Chambers of Commerce 78
Confederation of British Industry 236
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities 4
NHS Management Executive 85
Engineering Employers Federation 56
Federation of Small Businesses 20
Forum of Private Business 21
Association of Independent Businesses 0
Institute of Directors 18
Local Government Management Board 52
British Retail Consortium 30
Employers Forum on Disability 4
Union of Independent Companies 5
Institute of Personnel and Development 32
Council of Managerial and Professional Staffs 26
Association of Teachers and Lecturers 33
Federation of Managerial, Professional and General Associations 37
Royal College of Midwives 1
Royal College of Nursing 3
Trades Union Congress 609
National League of the Blind and Disabled 15
Union of Democratic Mineworkers 5
Total 1,370

In addition, there were 59 unsuccessful applications by temporary London, North members who had been nominated in 1992 by the following bodies:

Bodies Numbers
Association of British Chambers of Commerce 6
Confederation of British Industry 10
NHS Management Executive 2
Institute of Directors 1
Local Government Management Board 3
British Retail Consortium 1
Council of Managerial and Professional Staffs 1
Federation of Managerial, Professional and General Associations 1
Trades Union Congress 34
Total 59

Mr. McCartney

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people who were nominated by the local government management board and who served as temporary lay members of the London, North industrial tribunal between 14 November 1994 and 24 October 1995 have been subsequently re-appointed. [32019]

Mr. Taylor

One.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people applied to become lay members of industrial tribunals in the 1995 round of appointments. [32021]

Mr. Taylor

In the 1995 round of appointments, 2,087 people applied to become lay members of industrial tribunals.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people were appointed to lay membership of industrial tribunals in the 1995 round of appointments. [32022]

Mr. Taylor

In the 1995 round of appointments, 658 people were appointed to lay membership of industrial tribunals.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a breakdown of those people who applied for, but were not appointed to, lay membership of industrial tribunals in the 1995 round of appointments, by ethnic origin. [32025]

Mr. Taylor

The information is not readily available at the moment, but I will write to the hon. Member when it is.

Mr. McCartney

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a breakdown of those people who were appointed to lay membership of industrial tribunals in the 1995 round of appointments, by ethnic origin. [32024]

Mr. Taylor

The information is as follows:

Ethnic group (Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Classification) of industrial tribunals lay membership—October 1995
Ethnic group Number Per cent. of total membership
White 2,362 94.6
West Indian 33 1.32
Indian 43 1.72
Pakistani 10 0.4
Bangladeshi 4 0.16
Chinese 2 0.08
African 4 0.16
Arab 0 0
Mixed 6 0.24
Other 12 0.48
Not Known 21 0.84
Total 2,497 100.00