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Equality Commission

Volume 455: debated on Tuesday 16 January 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to ensure that the Equality Commission in Northern Ireland has a staff composition approximately in ratio to the community. (114923)

The Equality Commission, since its establishment, has been committed to the importance of having a workforce which reflects the community which it serves. The Commission recognises that there is currently an imbalance and therefore has in place an affirmative action plan with a range of initiatives to improve the representation of Protestants within its staff. These include the use of a statement in all job advertisements welcoming members of the Protestant community; contact with schools and third-level educational establishments; contact with and forwarding job vacancy information to community organisations servicing the Protestant community; engagement with representatives and people with influence in the Protestant community. The Commission keeps these measures under review, and will continue to work to reduce all imbalances.