To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether it is his policy to seek to increase the number of Catholic staff in his Department. (282290)

All appointments to the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) are made on merit.

The Northern Ireland Office’s Diversity Delivery Plan 2008-10 includes:

“Our aim is to ensure that representation of Protestants and Catholics in the NIO is comparable to the wider NI civil service.”

The plan highlights the fact that Catholic representation has continued to make steady progress from 25 per cent. in 1997 to 35 per cent. in 2008.