HC Deb 02 June 1997 vol 295 c24W
Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants, of each grade, in her Department, were of Asian origin, on 5 May. [734]

Mr. Murphy

The Northern Ireland Office is based in both London and Northern Ireland, and employs staff from the Home Civil Service and the Northern Ireland Civil Service groups. Monitoring of ethnic origin is currently limited to Home Civil Service employees in Great Britain. As at 5 May 1997, there were eight employees, up to Grade 7, out of an eligible monitoring group of 108, who had identified themselves as being of Asian origin.

It is not possible to provide the information requested in respect of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The Northern Ireland Civil Service monitors its workforce in terms of religion, sex and disability. It does not undertake any ethnic monitoring of its workforce. The Service will be reviewing its monitoring policies to take account of the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 and the guidance on best practice which will be produced following its implementation.

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals she has to increase the number of ethnic minority employees in her Department. [735]

Mr. Murphy

The Northern Ireland Office staff group includes 108 Home Civil Service employees based in London who are eligible for ethnic monitoring. Over the last three years there has been a 6 per cent. increase, to 19.5 per cent., in the number of employees who have identified themselves as being of Black or Asian origin. Recruitment sources have included inter-departmental trawis, absorption of surplus staff from other departments and the use of the Recruitment and Assessment Service instant recruitment scheme. The Northern Ireland Office will continue to use all of these methods to meet its obligations to recruit on the basis of fair and open competition.

The Northern Ireland Civil Service is committed to ensuring equality opportunity in employment irrespective of any extraneous factors not pertinent to job requirements. The NICS equal opportunities policy embraces all staff and applicants for employment, including those who are members of ethnic minority groups.