HC Deb 22 July 1997 vol 298 cc483-4W
Ms Perham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often since 1992 his Department has been responsible for employment advertisements which contained age restrictions upon those who could apply. [9502]

Mr. Straw

Recruitment advertisements for assistant immigration officers include a minimum age limit of 18 and advertisements for Prison Officers include minimum and maximum age limits of 20 and 50 respectively. In addition, advertisements for psychological assistants in the Prison Service and for candidates for the prison officer accelerated promotion scheme included age restrictions until 1995.

Apart from these exceptions, it is not Home Office policy for employment advertisements to include age restrictions. It is possible that a small number of individual advertisements since 1992 may have contained age restrictions, but this could be checked only at disproportionate cost.

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