Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many members of her Department's executive board are disabled.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
My current Departmental Board is made up of nine executive members & one non-executive member. Of the nine executive members eight are male and the remaining one is female. The one non-executive member is female.
My Department does not keep ethnic background or disability information for its executive board members who are all civil servants. However, I can inform you that the Department’s non-executive board member has indicated ‘white’ as their ethnicity.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many members of her Department's executive board are (a) white British and (b) from any other ethnic background.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
My current Departmental Board is made up of nine executive members & one non-executive member. Of the nine executive members eight are male and the remaining one is female. The one non-executive member is female.
My Department does not keep ethnic background or disability information for its executive board members who are all civil servants. However, I can inform you that the Department’s non-executive board member has indicated ‘white’ as their ethnicity.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many members of her Department's executive board are (a) male and (b) female.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
My current Departmental Board is made up of nine executive members & one non-executive member. Of the nine executive members eight are male and the remaining one is female. The one non-executive member is female.
My Department does not keep ethnic background or disability information for its executive board members who are all civil servants. However, I can inform you that the Department’s non-executive board member has indicated ‘white’ as their ethnicity.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what proportion of (a) her Department's staff and (b) staff working for companies contracted by her Department are paid less than the Living Wage.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
My Department does not directly employ any members of staff on an hourly rate below that set by the Living Wage Foundation.
In my Department’s Belfast office, there are 21 staff (100%) working for companies contracted by the Department. Of these staff, 20 are paid less than the hourly Living Wage set by the Living Wage Foundation for employees outside London, but are paid above the minimum wage.
My Department’s London office does not have any direct contracts with companies. All staff such as cleaners are provided by the building management company with whom we have a lease and arrangement to provide such services.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what proportion of (a) her Department's staff and (b) staff working for companies contracted by her Department who are paid less than the Living Wage are (i) white British and (ii) from an ethnic minority background.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
My Department does not directly employ any members of staff on an hourly rate below that set by the Living Wage Foundation.
In respect of staff working for companies contracted by my Department, we do not hold information regarding their ethnic background.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what proportion of (a) her Department's staff and (b) staff working for companies contracted by her Department who are paid less than the Living Wage are (i) women and (ii) men.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
My Department does not directly employ any members of staff on an hourly rate below that set by the Living Wage Foundation.
Of the staff working for companies contracted by my Department in our Belfast office who are paid less than the living wage, 95% are males and 5% are female.
My Department’s London office does not have any direct contracts with companies. All staff such as cleaners are provided by the building management company with whom we have a lease and arrangement to provide such services.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what consideration her Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
My Department receives procurement services from the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and the Central Procurement Directorate (CPD). The consideration given to diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering the bids for commercial contracts or grants will be in line with their respective policies and procedures.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of staff within her Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
Because of the devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010, and subsequent reconfiguration of the Northern Ireland Office, my Department does not hold figures for the periods prior to 2010. Attempting to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
Since April 2010, two members of staff have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings. Given the small numbers involved, it would not be appropriate to provide any further breakdown as to do so would risk the identification of the individuals concerned.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what targets her Department has for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
My Department has not set specific targets, but is fully committed to fulfilling its statutory responsibilities, including the duties set out under fair employment legislation and the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of staff within her Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.
Answered by Theresa Villiers
Because of the devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010, and subsequent reconfiguration of the Northern Ireland Office, my Department does not hold figures for the periods prior to 2010. Attempting to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
Since April 2010, seven members of staff have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings. Given the small numbers involved, it would not be appropriate to provide any further breakdown as to do so would risk the identification of the individuals concerned.