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8 Nov 2006 : Column 1646W—continued
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the 50 English wards are with the highest proportion of children aged 15 years or under living in households where benefits for worklessness are received. [99726]
Mr. Jim Murphy: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.
Workplace Bullying
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to prevent bullying in the workplace on grounds of (a) religion, (b) ethnicity and (c) sexual orientation; and how much his Department plans to spend on such programmes in the next 12 months. [99906]
Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions recognises that the effects of any bullying in the workplace including those on the grounds of religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation can seriously affect employees' physical and emotional well-being as well as their ability to work effectively.
The Department is committed to achieving a working environment that is free from bullying and harassment and has made it clear to employees both through its statements and policies that it will not tolerate any form of harassment, discrimination and bullying in the workplace.
The Department has in place clear and comprehensive policies concerning diversity and equality, harassment, discrimination and bullying and standards of behaviour. The policies promote diversity awareness, respect and inclusiveness, the standards of behaviour expected from employees, and provide guidance and processes to deal with incidents that arise.
The Department’s harassment, discrimination and bullying policy deals with all such complaints which include those made on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, religion or belief and age and gathers statistical information on these categories. The policy also details the roles and responsibilities of
employees, managers and HR as well as the way that complaints are investigated.
The Department also provides employees with access to professionally trained counsellors for harassment and bullying advice and support through its employee assistance programme.
The Department’s policies of diversity and equality have been issued to all employees and it recently launched a mandatory training programme for employees about anti-discrimination and promotion of equality legislation. The training includes robust messages about employee behaviour and standards on all equality issues including ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.
The Department closely monitors the operation of its policies and reviews and revises as necessary on a regular basis.
The Department has not allocated a budget specifically to fund these measures. They are viewed as an integral part of the Department’s HR employee policy work and as such they are included in the core funding.
Home Department
Accession Countries
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the impact on policy areas for which his Department has responsibility of EU accession states from (a) 2004 and (b) 2007. [90980]
Mr. Byrne: Both during the 2004 EU accession process and in advance of the proposed 2007 EU accession, the Home Office has consulted widely on the impact accession could have on its policy areas. Representations have been sought and received from many interest groups, including local government, think-tanks, law enforcement authorities, educational bodies and UK embassies abroad which have contributed to policy development in this area. Details of all representations could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Romanian and Bulgarian nationals are entitled (a) to work in the UK, (b) to settle in the UK and (c) to bring to the UK (i) spouses and (ii) other family members who are not EU nationals. [97253]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 25 October 2006]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Union on immigration to and crime in the United Kingdom. [93592]
Mr. Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has undertaken on the number of Turkish workers likely to come to work in the UK in the event of Turkish accession to the EU; and whether account is taken of potential migration in formulating UK policy on Turkish accession. [98009]
Mr. Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Written Ministerial Statement of 24 October 2006, Official Report, columns 82-4WS, on Romania and Bulgaria, whether workers from Bulgaria and Romania coming to the UK as labour-only sub-contractors in the construction industry will be considered to be self-employed; and if he will make a statement. [98713]
Mr. Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the number of migrant workers to the UK from Romania and Bulgaria upon their accession to the EU if no limits were placed on the levels of migration. [95616]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 October 2006]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are being used by his Department in its formula to predict the estimated number of migrant workers to the UK from Romania and Bulgaria upon their accession to the EU. [95617]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 23 October 2006]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of workers from EU countries who acceded in 2004 who came to the UK to work and who have subsequently left. [96616]
Mr. Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the most recent forecast is of expected levels of immigration from Romania and Bulgaria following their accession to the European Union. [94438]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 17 October 2006]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) assessed on managing the migration of Bulgarians and Romanians. [94932]
Mr. Byrne: I will write to my right. hon. Friend with the information requested.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned into the number of citizens of Romania and Bulgaria likely to come to the UK to work following their accession to the EU in 2007; and whether he has made an estimate of the likely number based on that research. [95492]
Mr. Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 467W, on accession state workers, which division of his Department commissioned the Dustmann report; what the cost was; and whether his Department made any independent estimate of the number of workers from accession states who would come to the UK. [96083]
Mr. Byrne: I will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government’s policy is on limits on immigration from Romania and Bulgaria following their accession to the EU in January 2007. [90822]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 11 September 2006]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Alcohol (Minors)
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much (a) was committed and (b) has been paid to local councils for trading standards campaigns against under-age drinking at the time of the Football World Cup competition. [100043]
John Reid: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding is available from his Department for local council trading standards’ Christmas campaigns against under-age drinking. [100046]
John Reid: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Alcohol Sales
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the change in the volume of alcohol in the alcoholic drinks most commonly sold in licensed premises over the last 20 years. [98294]
Barry Gardiner: I have been asked to reply.
The Department has not made any estimates on the volume of alcohol in alcoholic drinks sold in licensed premises. However, information on the proportion of total beer by type is available in the British Beer and Pub Association Statistical Handbook 2006 (Table A14a) and is given in the following table. We do not have similar information for wine or spirit drinks. Information on the proportion of consumption of alcoholic drinks and the market share of the different types of spirit drinks are also available. These can be obtained from The Drink Pocket Book, (Various editions), A.C Nielsen.
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