§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Northern Ireland Office and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland on the inclusion of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office under the provisions of section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. [142304]
§ Mr. VazThere are no plans to designate the FCO for the purpose of section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what measures his Department has put in place to ensure that its recruitment practices in Northern Ireland appeal to both Protestants and Catholics; [142305]
(2) what percentage of staff in his Department and overseas posts come from Northern Ireland; and how this is broken down between the Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ireland; [142306]
227W(3) how many Catholics from Northern Ireland have been recruited to (a) the Policy Entrant/Fast Stream and (b) the Operational Entrant/Main Stream in each of the last 10 years; [142307]
(4) what measures his Department has put in place to attract more applications from Northern Ireland's Catholic community; [142308]
(5) how many recruitment initiatives have been undertaken by his Department in Northern Ireland in predominantly (a) Catholic and (b) Protestant communities in the last 10 years. [142309]
§ Mr. HainIn 2000 the Department adapted its previous policy of advertising in UK national media. It now additionally advertises in leading publications in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the light of advice from the Fair Employment Commission at the Northern Ireland Office, all jobs in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (except those at clerical grade A1, which are advertised in London only) are advertised in theBelfast Telegraph. Care is taken to ensure that advertisements appeal to a wide cross-section of the UK population.
In line with its diversity policy, the Department does not require applicants to provide information on religious affiliation during (or after) the recruitment process. Nor does it have information that would enable it to say how many staff are from Northern Ireland or any other part of the United Kingdom. The Department is therefore unable to provide information on the percentage of staff employed in any capacity from either community in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland is included in the Department's recruitment initiatives. For example, in November 2000 the Department visited Queen's University Belfast and the University of Ulster to discuss careers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Europe with young people from eleven schools, encompassing both Catholic and Protestant students. The Department does not retain records of university visits and other recruitment initiatives for more than the current year.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's recruitment and advancement strategy and accompanying targets for recruiting(a) Catholics from Northern Ireland, (b) ethnic minorities, (c) women and (d) people with disabilities. [142310]
§ Mr. HainA copy of the FCO's strategy for improving minority ethnic representation ("Bridges into the Future") is available in the Library of the House. The Department is currently developing a broader diversity strategy. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Departmental Report, to be published in the spring, will give further details. The Department does not have specific targets for the employment of Catholics from Northern Ireland or from any other part of the UK. The Department's objective is that 10 per cent. of recruits to the Diplomatic Service each year should be of minority ethnic origin,228W that 50 per cent. should be women and that by 2005 disabled staff should account for 3 per cent. of its Senior Management Structure.