§ David BurnsideTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what exemptions are in place in Northern Ireland from equal fair employment laws; and whether these exemptions are from(a) United Kingdom, (b) European and (c) international law. [156671]
§ Mr. SpellarThe Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 provides for the following exemptions
Employment or occupation as a clergyman or minister of religion;Employment where the essential nature of the job requires it to be done by a person holding/not holding a particular religious belief or political opinion ('genuine occupational requirement');Recruitment of schoolteachers;Selection of persons for appointment as police trainees or for certain posts in police support staff;Actions done in pursuance of affirmative action (e.g. training, selection for redundancy, encouragement of applications from under-represented communities, selection of unemployed persons;Religion specific training for non-employees;Conferring of benefits by a charity on persons of a particular religious belief or political opinion;Acts done in order to comply with existing legislation;583WProvision of accommodation in, or disposal of shared small dwellings;Care provided in family home where persons are treated as family members;Goods, facilities or services provided by a religious denomination or political party to persons of a particular religion or political opinion (or none);Goods, facilities or services provided by schools. colleges of education or theological training colleges;Acts done for the purposes of safeguarding national security or protecting public safety or public order;Private sale of land or premises.The Government is satisfied that these exemptions accord with UK law generally, with EU law and with the UK's international obligations.