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13 Jan 2005 : Column 630W—continued
Confidential Waste
Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what volume of shredded confidential waste has been disposed of in each year of his Department's existence. [207200]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 10 January 2005]: My Department does not hold a central record of the volume of confidential waste disposed that is shredded. Such information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much has been spent by the Department on lighting in each year since 1997. [205875]
Mr. Lammy: This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ethnic Minorities
Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which his Department's policies meet the needs of ethnic minorities. [205564]
Mr. Lammy: The Department is committed to providing equal opportunities for all, irrespective of ethnicity, gender, transgender, sexuality, disability, age, religion, race, marital status, working patterns and/or caring responsibilities.
In compliance with the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, formerly the Lord Chancellor's Department, set out a
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comprehensive strategy to promote race equality in carrying out its functions, in the DCA's Race Equality Scheme published on 31 May 2002. The Race Equality Scheme is currently under review and will be implemented in May 2005.
The Department is now engaged in a major programme of diversity change, to ensure that our work meets the needs of ethnic minority clients and staff.
In February 2004, "Minority Report", a review of DCA diversity structures and strategy, was published. The Report set out 15 key recommendations in relation to improving DCA performance in diversity, which are being implemented as part of our new Diversity Agenda Programme (DAP). Two of the key projects in this programme are:
The Compliance with Legislation and Developing Policy strands of the DAP will provide the framework for a continuous programme of consultation, assessment and implementation of policies. We will be applying Race Impact assessments to ensure that the Department's policies meet the needs of black and minority ethnic communities.
The benefits of the DAP will be realized by the whole Department, including the magistrates courts, by supporting work against our PSA targets and supporting the DCA's five-year strategy.
European Data Protection Supervisor
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) mandate and (b) powers of the European Data Protection Supervisor in respect of information required to be collected under European Communities legislation. [207286]
Mr. Leslie: The European Data Protection Supervisor is the independent supervisory body entrusted with monitoring the application, to Community institutions and bodies, of Community instruments relating to the protection of natural persons as regards the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data.
The European Data Protection Supervisor's powers are set out in Article 47 of Regulation (EC) No. 45/2001. These include powers to order the rectification, blocking, erasure or destruction of all data when they have been processed in breach of the provisions governing the processing of personal data and the notification of such actions to third parties to whom the data have been disclosed; to refer a matter to the Community institution or body concerned and, if necessary, to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission; to intervene in actions brought before the Court of Justice of the European Communities; and to obtain from a Community institution or body access to all personal data and to all information necessary for his or her enquiries.
Magistrates
John Mann:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage
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of magistrates are from (a) manual trade backgrounds and (b) social class A on the latest date for which figures are available. [207785]
Mr. Leslie: A survey of active magistrates was carried out in May 2004 to identify the make-up of the magistracy with a view to using the data received to aid recruitment and improve the diversity of the Bench. Some 78 per cent. of magistrates responded to the survey. They self-classified themselves in the following categories, which are based on Labour Force Survey definitions:
Parliamentary Questions
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when he will reply to the question tabled on 3 December 2004, by the hon. Member for New Forest, East, ref 203344. [208329]
Mr. Leslie: I replied to the hon. Member for New Forest on 11 January.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Bahrain
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Bahrain concerning human rights since 2002; and if he will make a statement. [207698]
Mr. Rammell: We are in regular contact with the Bahraini Government on human rights issues, and follow developments in Bahrain closely. We are aware that there is still work to be done but we welcome the progress Bahrain is making in promoting and protecting human rights. We continue to support the King's continuing programme of reform.
China
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of China regarding (a) the recent actions taken against house churches in China and (b) the imprisonment of Christians, with particular reference to Pastor Zhang Rongliang and Pastor Cai Zhuohua. [207053]
Mr. Rammell:
We are deeply concerned about religious freedom in China and monitor the situation closely.
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At the latest round of the UK China Human Rights Dialogue, held in Beijing on 22 November, we raised our concern that the prohibition of some religious and spiritual groups and the restrictions and harassment of others undermines freedom of religious belief in China.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials also raised several concerns about religious freedom, including incidents of the mass arrests of religious practitioners in Xinjiang, Kaifeng and Wuhan with Wang Zuo'an, the Deputy Director General for the State Administration of Religious Affairs during his visit to the UK in September 2004.
We are aware of Pastor Zhang's case and are concerned about his detention. We raised his case with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on 4 December and again on 23 December. The Dutch Presidency on behalf of the EU also wrote to the Chinese MFA on 22 December.
We have asked our embassy in Beijing to make further enquiries about the case of Cai Zhuohua.
Departmental Credit Cards
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many credit cards for official expenditure are held by his Department. [206433]
Mr. Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently has 210 cards in use in the UK.
As our posts overseas have devolved financial authority we do not keep central records on the number of cards they hold. This figure could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Properties
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many properties are held by the Department; what total floor space these properties provide; how many properties are vacant; and how much floor space vacant properties comprise. [206485]
Mr. Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) holds the following properties in the United Kingdom (none are vacant) with floor space as shown.
There are more than 4,300 properties of different kinds in the overseas estate. Day-to-day management of these is devolved to our overseas posts. Details of precise numbers, floor space and occupancy could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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