HC Deb 13 April 1999 vol 329 cc165-6W
Sir Robert Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment for what purposes his Department and its executive agencies require a birth certificate to be furnished by (i) employees, (ii) contractors, (iii) those applying for employment or contracts and (iv) other persons. [79556]

Mr. Mudie

Before making any appointment, the Department must verify identity, age and nationality. Candidates have the option to produce a birth certificate to fulfil this requirement. It is not Departmental policy to ask contractors to produce Birth Certificates. A number of my Department's programmes have age eligibility criteria where again one of the applicants' options is to produce a Birth Certificate.