HC Deb 30 March 2004 vol 419 cc1331-2W
Mr. Gregory Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is undertaking to address the problems faced by the organisation in relation to recruiting people from all sections of the community in Northern Ireland. [164160]

Mr. Spellar

Where monitoring shows that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's recruitment processes delivers differential outcomes, it initiates an affirmative action programme which aims to encourage full participation of the community in securing employment within the organisation. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive's Affirmative Action Plan addresses areas of under-representation in relation to gender, disability and the other equality groups identified in the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

The main measures the Northern Ireland Housing Executive takes include:

  1. (i) the extension of external recruitment to cover entry level and key recruitment grades;
  2. (ii) the promotion of careers within the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in publications where there is under representation; and
  3. (iii) developing links with schools and training organisations in areas where under representation exists.