To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Roman Catholics and (b) Protestants are employed by (i) the Southern area health and social services board and (ii) the Armagh and Dungannon Health and Social Services Trust. [4268]

The latest available information on numbers and religious composition of staff employed by the Southern Area Health and Social Services Board is contained in the Fair Employment Commission's Seventh Monitoring Report which was published in March 1997 and contains a summary of 1996 Monitoring Returns. That report indicated the position to be as follows:

	Number
Protestant	925
Roman Catholic	1,103
Non-determined	189
Total	2,217

There is no information available yet on the Armagh and Dungannon Health and Social Services Trust which came into operation on 1 April 1996.