asked the Minister of Labour what instructions he has issued to employment exchanges governing their treatment of employers who practise racial discrimination in filling vacancies; on what date the most recent instructions were issued; and in what respect they differ from previous instructions.

Employment exchange managers have for many years been instructed to do their utmost to persuade an employer, who may attach discriminatory conditions when notifying a vacancy, to consider on their merits any available workers of the class discriminated against who appear suitable for the job. On 5th August, 1964 a new procedure was introduced under which exchange managers were required, when an employer appeared to persist in discrimination as a result of prejudice, to report the facts to Regional Office for further efforts at persuasion. If those efforts fail, the case is then reported to headquarters for further efforts. Finally, I or my Parliamentary Secretary would consider whether the Department should refuse to deal with any vacancies from the firm concerned. Our efforts at persuasion have met with a considerable degree of success but I am keeping the situation under close review.