To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the (a) Protestant applicants, (b) Roman Catholic applicants and (c) non-determined applicants to the police in Northern Ireland were (i) deemed to be suitably qualified and (ii) subsequently appointed. (100820)

I am advised that, as at 17 November 2006, of the 35,819 applications from a Protestant background, 5,459 reached the pool of suitably qualified candidates; of this number 1,202 have been appointed.

For the same period, of the 20,326 applications from the Catholic community, 1,967 reached the pool of suitably qualified candidates, 1,219 of which were duly appointed.

Of the 1,303 applicants for whom community background could not be determined, 71 candidates reached the pool of suitably qualified candidates; of this number 20 applicants were appointed.

This information includes figures up to campaign 10. Appointments for campaign 11 have not yet commenced.