§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 13 January (Official Report, col. WA 74), whether the Northern Ireland Department of Education compiles statistical data on the religious background of teachers, in accordance with Article 71 of the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 (S.I 1998/3162). [HL869]
§ The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)Under the current fair employment and treatment legislation the monitoring provisions do not apply to or in relation to employment as a teacher in a school.
The Department of Education in Northern Ireland does not hold statistical information on the religious breakdown of teachers employed in schools. The various employing authorities that are responsible for employing teachers hold this information. This information is not readily available and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.