§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will accept the recommendation of the Northern Ireland Commission on Fair Employment to conduct the next analysis of unemployment differentials before the 2011 Census. [117359]
§ Mr. George Howarth[holding answer 3 April 2000]: Government continually monitor community differentials in unemployment through annual Labour Force Surveys. The analysis will be greatly assisted by the results of the 2001 Census, which will provide more accurate data. In the White Paper "Partnership for Equality" (Cm 3890 March 1998) the Government gave a commitment to a further review of employment equality in Northern Ireland, including unemployment differentials, to be launched by 2005. They also predicted that the proposals in the White Paper, together with social and economic change, would lead to a substantial reduction in unemployment differentials which should be evidenced in the 2011 Census.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he plans to circulate final guidelines on fair employment practices. [117360]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 3 April 2000]: Under the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 the Equality Commission, with the approval of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, may issue Codes of Practice on fair employment issues. A Code of Practice has been in circulation for several years. My hon. Friend may be referring to the Equality Commission's equality scheme guidelines, "Guide to the Statutory duties: A guide to the implementation of the statutory duties on public authorities arising from Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998". Those guidelines were launched by the Equality Commission on 31 March 2000. Distribution of the guidelines is a matter for the Commission.