§ Ms DrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many(a) inquiries and (b) requests for assistance were received by (i) the Equal Opportunities Commission and (ii) the Commission for Racial Equality in each of the last two years, in respect of (1) all areas and (2) further education; and how many requests for assistance were taken up in each case. [113493]
§ Ms HodgeIn 1998, the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) handled 34,857 inquiries and considered 225 requests for assistance in all areas. The EOC supported 81 of these cases. The EOC does not hold separate data on the number of inquiries and requests for assistance for Further Education cases.
In the same year the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) dealt with approximately 7,000 inquiries and received 1,657 requests for assistance, of which 43 were from the Further Education sector (including Sixth Form Colleges). The CRE provided some form of representation in 378 cases, including six Further Education cases.
Details of inquiries and assistance for 1999 for both equality bodies will be available later this year after the publication of their respective Annual Reports.