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12 Jul 2004 : Column 970W—continued

People Trafficking

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the UK towards ratification of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. [181083]

Mr. Browne: I have been asked to reply.

The United Kingdom has signed the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, and is committed to its ratification. The protocol requires us to criminalise trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery and the removal of organs.

The Sexual Offences Act 2003 includes offences covering trafficking into, within and out of the United Kingdom. These offences were brought into force on 1 May 2004. New offences covering trafficking for exploitation, including trafficking for the purposes of slavery, forced labour and the removal of organs, are included in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Bill, which is currently before Parliament.

We consider that, taken together with existing United Kingdom law, the commencement of the trafficking offences in clause 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill will mean we are in compliance with our legislative obligations under the protocol.

To enable us to ratify the protocol we must first ratify the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime. We intend to ratify the convention as soon as all legislative requirements to bring our law into compliance with the convention are met.
 
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CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Strapline

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will set out the Lord Chancellor's reasoning in proposing the Department's strapline. [182919]

Mr. Lammy: As stated in my answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 302W, the strapline is intended as a brief and easy to understand description of the Department's responsibilities.

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 302W, on rights and duties, if he will replace the word rights with the word obligations or duties in his Department's strapline. [182961]

Mr. Lammy: No.

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 302W, on rights and duties, in what way the Department carries out its responsibilities to ensure access to justice for all under the heading of (a) rights and (b) justice as referred to in the Department's strapline. [182962]

Mr. Lammy: Access to justice is a statutory right. The Department works to improve public access to the justice system while ensuring value for money and without incurring unsustainable cost to the taxpayer. Further detail on DCA's responsibilities and activities can be found in our Departmental Report for 2003–04 (CM 6210). Copies of the Departmental Report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 302W, on rights and duties, what relative weighting the Department gives to (a) the duties of Her Majesty's subjects and (b) the rights of Her Majesty's subjects in determining its priorities in the context of all its responsibilities in accordance with the Government's policies and priorities. [182964]

Mr. Lammy: I refer you to the answer provided on 30 June 2004, Official Report, column 302W. Rights are fundamentally linked with duties, and as such are not afforded separate weightings.

Departmental Employment Claims

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many cases against the Department, the agencies for which it is responsible and its predecessor organisations have been brought to employment tribunals in each year since 1997
 
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in relation to (a) equal pay, (b) sex discrimination, (c) race discrimination, (d) disability discrimination and (e) unfair dismissal; how many cost awards were made against (i) respondents and (ii) applicants; and how much has been spent (A) settling and (B) contesting claims. [181461]

Mr. Lammy: Figures for m·y Department and its predecessor Department since 1997 are as follows.

There have been:

There has been:

Human Rights Act/Freedom of Information Act

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what obligations British subjects have under (a) the Human Rights Act 1998 and (b) the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [182920]

Mr. Lammy : The legal obligations arising under both Acts are imposed on public authorities and not on British subjects as such.

Magistrates Shadowing Scheme

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Magistrates Shadowing Scheme. [182913]

Mr. Leslie: The Magistrates Shadowing Scheme is now in its second phase. Its purpose is twofold. Firstly, it seeks to promote participation and inclusiveness from black and other minority ethnic communities in the criminal justice system and so their representation within the magistracy. Secondly, it aims to improve diversity, promote mentoring and remove cultural barriers by making magistrates more accessible to the wider community that they serve.

The scheme provides participants with an invaluable insight into the role of magistrates. It is currently operating in 12 areas across the country:


 
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Almost 100 people from Black and minority ethnic communities are shadowing 200 magistrates. This is approximately double the size of the pilot scheme and reflects the success of the project to date. Participants in the current scheme took place in a learning seminar focusing on the role of the magistracy and its place in the criminal justice system during the weekend of 2–4 July 2004 at a conference centre in Daventry.

Feedback from those who have participated in the scheme indicates that it is successfully equipping them to challenge misconceived perceptions of the magistracy and is improving confidence in the criminal justice system among minority communities.

Political Party Manifestos

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will ask the Electoral Commission to issue guidance to political parties on the rules and conventions that apply to manifestos. [182705]

Mr. Leslie: We have no plans to request that such guidance be issued. It is for the political parties themselves to decide on matters relating to their manifestos.

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