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19 Mar 2008 : Column 1192W—continued
Saudi Arabia
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit Saudi Arabia. [194679]
Dr. Howells: I can inform the hon. Member that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary intends to visit Saudi Arabia in the next few months. I visited the Kingdom on 23-24 February 2007.
Simon Mann
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the psychological pressure being applied by the Equatorial Guinea authorities to Simon Mann. [194459]
Meg Munn [holding answer 14 March 2008]: Mr. Mann’s welfare remains our primary concern. We will continue to raise, with the Equatorial Guinea Government, the issue of maintaining regular consular access, and any concerns we have over the conditions of Mr. Mann’s detention. Our Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea (resident in Abuja) raised Mr. Mann’s welfare when he met the President of Equatorial Guinea on 6 March.
Sudan: Armed Conflict
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of allegations that Arab and Janjaweed militias in Darfur are being armed by the Government of Sudan. [194968]
Meg Munn [holding answer 18 March 2008]: We are aware of continuing reports of the Government of Sudan providing support to armed groups operating in Darfur and Chad, as well as of Chadian support to rebel groups fighting in Darfur. We have made clear to Sudan that support to armed groups is unacceptable and must stop, and the dangerous consequences of further military activity in West Darfur in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 12 March 2008, Official Report, column 274, in the House that the international community will take action against any party that does not commit to a ceasefire and engage in the political process, including through pressing for further targeted sanctions.
Uganda: Peace Negotiations
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that representatives of the Government attend a peace
conference and signing of a peace deal between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army if invited. [194604]
Meg Munn: The details of a signing ceremony for the Final Peace Agreement between the Ugandan Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army have not yet been disclosed. The Government intend to be represented at any ceremony, subject to being invited.
World War II: Genocide
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2008, Official Report, column 2571W, on World War II: genocide, if he will place in the Library copies of statements condemning President Ahmadinejad’s statements questioning the Holocaust; and if he will make a statement. [194248]
Dr. Howells: I will arrange for copies of statements condemning Iranian questioning of the Holocaust and anti-Israeli comments to be placed in the Library of the House. Such statements are abhorrent and we will continue to condemn them.
Justice
Bail Hostels: Bodmin
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what consultation his Department plans to (a) undertake or (b) commission in relation to the future use of properties in Bodmin by the Bail Accommodation and Support Service; [194685]
(2) what consultations took place with (a) local residents and (b) North Cornwall district council on establishing a facility for use by the Bail Accommodation and Support Service at 9 Cherry Tree Close, Bodmin. [194686]
Mr. Hanson: There are no current plans for a property in Bodmin for the Bail Accommodation and Support Service. Any future planning for properties in Cornwall will be determined by the South West Regional Offender Manager relative to need based on data on prisoner origins. ClearSprings will consult the Devon and Cornwall constabulary, the appropriate local authority and Devon and Cornwall probation on any future proposal to bring a property in Cornwall within the scheme.
There is no requirement for ClearSprings to consult local residents about the provision of properties in their locale to people who are defendants on bail or offenders released on home detention curfew. Consultation with the North Cornwall district council about the property took place in February 2008.
Cemeteries
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2008, Official Report, column 756W, on cemeteries, what progress has been made on proposals to allow local authorities to re-use graves in their cemeteries. [194736]
Bridget Prentice: Work on the practical details of how the scheme would operate is progressing well. Members of the Burial and Cemeteries Advisory Group have been helping us in developing these proposals. We expect to make an announcement about how the initiative will be taken forward, including a public consultation exercise, in the near future.
Departmental Official Cars
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what make and model of car (a) he and (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were applied when making the decision in each case. [192383]
Mr. Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 10 March 2008, Official Report, column 8W.
As has been the practice under successive Administrations and in accordance with the ministerial code my car is provided by the Metropolitan Police. The make and model is therefore a matter for them.
Discrimination
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many claims for discrimination, based on (a) sex, (b) race and (c) sexual orientation, were brought by members of his Department and its predecessor and settled (i) in and (ii) out of court in each of the last five years. [194985]
Maria Eagle: The ex-DCA centralised system holds the following information:
| Year | Settled Claims |
Any discrimination claims brought on the grounds of sexual orientation are included in the category of sexual discrimination.
Information on whether the settlements were reached in or out of court is not held centrally. To obtain it would be at disproportionate cost.
For NOMS and OCJR, the information is not held centrally in the format or time period requested. Since the database was created in January 2005, there have been no recorded cases in the categories requested.
The Prison Service does not hold the information centrally in the format requested. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Drugs: Lancashire
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many residents of Lancashire were convicted of drug dealing in each of the last five years. [194716]
Maria Eagle: Data showing the number of defendants found guilty for supply, and the possession with intent to supply drugs in the Lancashire police force area are in the following table. Information available to my Department cannot separate residents of Lancashire from other defendants found guilty in the Lancashire police force area.
Illegal Broadcasting: Video Recordings
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 18 September 2007, Official Report, column 2091W, on illegal broadcasting: video recordings, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there were in 2006 for offences of the supply of video works to individuals who were under the age of the designated classification. [195009]
Maria Eagle: Data on the number of prosecutions and convictions under the Video Recording Act 1984, as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, in England and Wales for 2006 can be found in the following table.
| The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Video Recording Act 1984, as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, in England and Wales 2006( 1, 2, 3, 4) | ||||||
| Offence description | ||||||
| Supplying video recording of unclassified work | Persons video recording of unclassified work for the purpose of supply | Supplying video recording of classified work in breach of classification | Certain video recordings only to be supplied in licensed sex shops | Supply of video recording not complying with requirements as to labels etc. | Supply of video recordings containing false indication as to classification | |
| (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Some of the statistics relate to illegal sales but it is not possible to tell whether these were necessarily sales to children. (4) Includes the following statutes and offence description: Video Recording Act 1984, Sec 9 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 88. Supplying video recording of unclassified work. Video Recording Act 1984, Sec 10 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 88. Persons video recording of unclassified work for the purpose of supply. Video Recording Act 1984, Sec 11 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 88(4). Supplying video recording of classified work in breach of classification. Video Recording Act 1984, Sec 12 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 88(5). Certain video recordings only to be supplied in licensed sex shops. Video Recording Act 1984 Sec 13. Supply of video recording not complying with requirements as to labels etc. Video Recording Act 1984, Sec 14 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 88(6). Supply of video recordings containing false indication as to classification. Our reference: PQ 195009 (Table) (5) Nil Source: Court Proceedings Database held by RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice | ||||||
Juries: Mental Health
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the public consultation on the mental health criteria for jury duty, referred to in the report of the Social Exclusion Unit in June 2004, will be concluded. [194655]
Maria Eagle: Work is continuing on the drafting of a consultation paper on mental health and jury service and we expect to be in a position to publish the paper within the next few months. Under Cabinet Office guidelines three months should be allowed for public consultation; a summary of the views received and any decisions taken as a result of the consultation should be published within a further three months.
Magistrates Courts: Buxton
Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the adequacy of facilities for (a) disabled access, (b) security and (c) staff accommodation at Buxton magistrates court; and if he will take any necessary action to make improvements. [194675]
Maria Eagle: HMCS has assessed the requirements for DDA works at Buxton magistrates court and plans to make improvements next financial year. A full security inspection has also been programmed. No additional works have been sought or are planned to the staff accommodation.
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