| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Employment Equality
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to establish an Equality Unit within the Northern Ireland Office. [117356]
Mr. Mandelson [holding answer 3 April 2000]: The Office of the First and Deputy First Minister has an Equality Unit which continues to advise the Government on equality issues.
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to utilise contract compliance and public procurement as a mechanism for promoting greater employment equality. [117354]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 3 April 2000]: Public contracts already require that contractors comply with Northern Ireland and anti-discrimination law on religious and political opinion, sex, race and disability. There are additional provisions under the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 whereby individual employers can be excluded from Government contracts if they have not adhered to specified requirements of fair employment legislation. There are no further plans at this time to extend these requirements.
5 Apr 2000 : Column: 519W
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in reducing community differentials in unemployment; what targets he has set for reducing community differentials; and what initiatives are planned to remedy community differentials. [117351]
Mr. George Howarth
[holding answer 3 April 2000]: The Government are committed to reducing unemployment in Northern Ireland and regard continuing differentials between Catholics and Protestants in unemployment as unacceptable. The most recent Labour Force Survey data for 1998 indicate that the ratio of the Catholic unemployment rate to the Protestant rate is 1.9 (2.3 for males and 1.4 for females). The Government are addressing unemployment and continuing differentials through:
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to monitor the effectiveness of the New Deal programme in Northern Ireland in terms of religious affiliation. [117358]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 3 April 2000]: Participation in New Deal is monitored in terms of community background/religious affiliation by the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment. Statistics on the numbers of Catholic and Protestant participants on the New Deals for Unemployed People, and their progress through the programme, have been published regularly by the Department. These statistics are also regularly reviewed by the Training and Employment Agency Board's Equality Sub-Group.
Specific Equality and New Targeting Social Needs criteria, including consideration of the impact of New Deal on Protestants and Catholics, have also been built into the various projects covering the evaluation of New Deal which is currently under way. This will ensure that reliable conclusions can be drawn about the impact of the programme on both the Protestant and Catholic communities.
Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the breakdown is of the £837 million extra spending on schools in England announced in the Budget. [117512]
Mr. Blunkett
[holding answer 3 April 2000]: Of the £837 million for education in England in 2000-01, the allocation of £812 million has now been announced. This breaks down as follows:
5 Apr 2000 : Column: 520W
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to redress the remaining differences in student support for 2000-01 between the component parts of the UK following the Government's response to the Quigley report. [117626]
Mr. Wicks:
The differences in student support between Scotland and the remainder of the United Kingdom arise from the decisions of the devolved Scottish Parliament. In England and Wales, the student support arrangements are working well and there is no case for fundamental change.
the New Deal;
recent legislation changes to facilitate employers in recruiting the unemployed and to permit religion specific training; and
the new Targeting Social Need policy.
The Equality Commission will shortly consult on its plans to establish benchmarks and monitoring systems to measure future reductions in community differentials among the unemployed.
£286 million for special grants to schools.
£20 million for catch-up classes in primary schools.
£53 million for Education Maintenance Allowances and a campaign to encourage young people to stay on in education.
£33 million to extend Excellence in Cities to more areas and £25 million for primary schools in Excellence in Cities areas.
£70 million to fund training salaries for postgraduates entering teacher training.
£250 million in grants through the New Deal for Schools and £60 million in capital support for City Academies and to transform failing schools through the Fresh Start programme.
£15 million for capital projects benefiting 16-19 year olds.
The allocation of the remaining £25 million will be announced in the coming weeks.
European Community Treaty
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 November 1999, Official Report, columns 238-39W, on Title IV of the Treaty of the European Community, what (a) further measures have been brought forward and (b) decisions have been taken by the United Kingdom concerning opting into measures brought forward under Title IV since 26 November 1999. [117484]
Mrs. Roche: The following measures have been brought forward under Title IV of the Treaty establishing the European Community since 26 November 1999:
Initiative of the Republic of Finland with a view to the adoption of a Council Regulation determining obligations as between the Member States for the readmission of Third-Country Nationals;
Commission proposal for a Council Directive on the Right to Family Reunification;
Presidency Proposal for a Council Recommendation on Voluntary Return;
Initiative of the Republic of Finland for a Council Regulation relating to the updating of the Common Consular Instructions;
Proposal by the Commission for a Council Regulation on the list of countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement;
Proposal for a Council Decision creating a European Refugee Fund.
The Presidency has suspended consideration of the first of these measures. The United Kingdom has not yet opted into any of the other measures.
Asylum Seekers
Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision on the recommendations made to him by the Home Office
5 Apr 2000 : Column: 521W
Consultative Group on the setting up of an independent documentation centre for information on countries of origin of asylum seekers. [117069]
Mrs. Roche:
Since the Consultative Group reported in December 1998, our priority has been to support the recovery of asylum decision output through the expansion and improvement of advice to caseworkers on country situations. This has included taking account of the Consultative Group's recommendations about the format and content of the published assessments. Once we are satisfied with the progress that has been made on these immediate priorities, we shall turn to considering other possible initiatives for developing country of origin assessments, including the idea of a documentation centre which was examined by the Consultative Group.
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of (1) the number of jobs the dispersal process for asylum seekers will create in local authorities; [117065]
(3) the ratio of staff support to asylum seekers in local government; and if he will make a statement. [117066]
Mrs. Roche:
None, either as regards the existing voluntary dispersal scheme or as regards the new centrally administered one.
Since 1 April 1999, the Home Office has been responsible for reimbursing local authorities for the costs of supporting asylum seekers. Local authorities may claim the costs incurred in supporting asylum seekers up to a limit of £140 a week for a single adult and of £240 a week for a family. However, how they allocate these resources, the number of staff they employ and the ratio of staff support to asylum seekers is a matter for the local authorities.
Under the new national asylum support scheme, the Home Office will pay for accommodation and essential living needs.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which department has responsibility for bringing forward legislation to extend the jurisdiction of (a) the Ministry of Defence Police and (b) British Transport Police to give them constabulary powers; and if he will make a statement. [117670]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Home Office, in consultation with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), keeps under review all matters concerning the role, powers and jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) and the British Transport Police (BTP).
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill currently before Parliament proposes an amendment to the Police Act 1997 to enable the Chief Constable of the MDP and the Chief Constable of the BTP to authorise interference with property and wireless telegraphy within their force's existing jurisdiction under Part III of that Act. Part II of the Bill will also allow them, along with other chief constables, to authorise intrusive surveillance.
5 Apr 2000 : Column: 522W
(2) the total administrative cost to local government of the dispersal of asylum seekers; [117064]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |