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22 Oct 2002 : Column 243W—continued
IND
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the backlog of asylum cases at the IND is. [75650]
Beverley Hughes: There were 35,300 asylum applications awaiting an initial decision on 30 June 2002, less than half the 87,800 on 31 December 2000. This figure relates to the number of cases i.e. the number of principal applicants.
Information on the number of cases awaiting an initial decision (including work in progress) is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration 1.htm.
Forensic Pathology Services
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have for the provision of forensic pathology services in England and Wales. [76737]
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Mr. Denham: Forensic pathologists play a crucial role in the criminal justice system. Their principle function is the conduct of post-mortem examinations in cases of suspicious or sudden deaths to determine the cause and time of death. This information is critical to homicide investigations.
I have now seen the report of the independent review of the provision of forensic pathology services, which I commissioned last year.
The review recommended that: the decline in numbers of forensic pathologists should be reversed through a sustained training programme; improved administrative arrangements should be put in place to monitoring service levels and ensure that standards are maintained; steps should be taken to ensure that there are improved facilities for the conduct of post-mortem examinations.
The Government are considering this report and will reach decisions after the review has been discussed by the Policy Advisory Board on Forensic Pathology.
Burglaries
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many burglaries were estimated to have been (a) reported and (b) unreported in (i) urban, (ii) rural and (iii) suburban areas for each year since 1979. [75183]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 21 October 2002]: The following tables show the numbers of burglaries per 10,000 households for urban, rural and suburban areas, as measured by the British Crime Survey. There is no commonly agreed definition of rural areas. Results here use the Office for National Statistics (ONS) District Level Classification in order to provide the urban, suburban and rural breakdown. The ONS classification of areas was revised for authorities in 1999. The revision produced a different hierarchical structure hence there is little direct comparability with the results of the original classification. Therefore, it is not possible to give the figures for the most recent sweep of the British Crime Survey (BCS).
| Urban | Suburban | Rural | England and Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 482 | 298 | 257 | 373 |
| 1997 | 664 | 298 | 289 | 478 |
| 1995 | 697 | 424 | 402 | 549 |
| 1993 | 855 | 398 | 243 | 580 |
| 1991 | 706 | 331 | 267 | 481 |
| 1987 | 523 | 254 | 241 | 388 |
| 1983 | 455 | 267 | 51 | 325 |
Notes:
1 British Crime Survey.
2 Note that estimates for 1995 to 1999 are not directly comparable with previous years due to new weighting of the data. Therefore, estimates from 1995 to 1999 may also vary from those previously published.
3 Results for 1983 to 1997 should be treated with caution due to small sample sizes.
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| Urban | Suburban | Rural | England and Wales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 305 | 152 | 127 | 216 |
| 1997 | 392 | 196 | 96 | 275 |
| 1995 | 415 | 158 | 193 | 286 |
| 1993 | 400 | 179 | 151 | 275 |
| 1991 | 299 | 133 | 91 | 197 |
| 1987 | 312 | 188 | 37 | 224 |
| 1983 | 207 | 154 | 72 | 167 |
Notes:
1 British Crime Survey.
2 Note that estimates for 1995 to 1999 are not directly comparable with previous weighting of the data. Therefore, estimates from 1995 to 1999 may also vary from those previously published.
3 Results for 1983 to 1997 should be treated with caution due to small sample sizes.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Greenhouse Gases
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what percentage (a) greenhouse gas and (b) CO2 emissions in 2001 differed from those of 1990 ; and if she will make a statement. [75126]
Mr. Meacher: I have been asked to reply.
UK emissions data for the year 2001 will be finalised in March 2003 and submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in April next year, as required by the UK's international reporting obligations. UK data to the year 2000 reported and published last March show that total greenhouse gas emissions decreased by some 12.8 per cent. over the period 1990 to 2000. Carbon dioxide fell by about 7.5 per cent.
Provisional carbon dioxide emissions estimates for 2001 are available. These indicate that emissions have reduced by about 6.1 per cent. between 1990 and 2001. The increase between 2000 and 2001 is attributed to outside temperature differences and an increase in coal consumption linked to an increase in gas prices relative to coal prices.
Electronic Trading
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects the study commissioned by the office of the e-Envoy and DTI on making the UK the best place to trade electronically by the end of the parliament to be published; and if she will make a statement. [75121]
Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
The study commissioned by the Office of the e-Envoy and DTI will be published in November and copies placed in the libraries of the House.
Equality
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the next steps are in implementing the equal treatment Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC adopted in 2000 under Article 13 of the EC Treaty; and what progress has been made in taking
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forward the Government's review of the long-term arrangements for offering advice, support and guidance on equality matters announced on 15 May. [76735]
Ms Hewitt: My hon. Friend the Minister for Women in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has today published a summary of our plans to change existing equality legislation and to introduce new legislation to take forward implementation of the Employment and Race Directives—Equality and Diversity: The Way Ahead. We intend to make equality legislation as coherent and easy to use as possible. We have produced draft regulations to achieve these changes and are asking for comments on our proposals.
This work builds on our current arrangements for tackling discrimination, and has been shaped by extensive consultation over the last two years. The key features will be:
- new legislation prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief and sexual orientation in the areas of employment and vocational training; and
- important changes to the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
We intend to have new provisions on race, religion and belief and sexual orientation in place in 2003, and on disability in 2004. We also intend to make some modifications to the Equal Pay Act in 2003, following consultation in Towards Equal Pay for Women. We will consult separately on proposals for legislation to prohibit discrimination on grounds of age, as well as the new Equal Treatment Amendment Directive.
In addition, we are committed to getting the right framework to support equality legislation. We are, therefore, also publishing today a separate consultation paper—Equality and Diversity: Making it Happen. This considers the contribution of equality institutions to making equal opportunities a reality and to promoting equality and diversity across society, and sets out a range of options for future structures for these institutions, including a single equality commission. It considers a range of related issues, including the implications for Scotland and Wales and the regional and local dimension.
We have arranged for copies of these documents and the draft legislation to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on Government action to help close the pay gap between men and women. [76736]
Ms Hewitt: On Thursday 17 October, I launched a consultation on the design of the equal pay questionnaire. The Employment Act 2002 provides a new power to introduce an equal pay questionnaire into the Equal Pay Act 1970. We are seeking views by 10 January 2003 on a draft questionnaire, with the aim of bringing it into effect, subject to Parliamentary approval, in April 2003. The questionnaire will help women who think they may not be receiving equal pay to request key information from their employers before deciding whether to bring a case. In some cases this could lead to resolving or settling a claim rather than taking the tribunal route.
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The questionnaire is one of a raft of changes we are introducing to speed up and simplify equal pay cases; and it forms part of the Government's drive to close the pay gap between men and women. Also published on the Women and Equality Unit's website is a briefing paper ''Equal Pay and Pay Gap—Update on Government Action''. This provides an update on Government action to narrow the pay gap and progress made following the Government's response to Denise Kingsmill's report on Women's Employment and Pay (December 2001).
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