| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
24 Feb 2009 : Column 736W—continued
Japan - Business Information Centre, Trade and Industry Centre Building, 2, Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama 231-0023, Japan
China - Suite 1620, New Town Centre, 83 Loushanguan Road, Shanghai 200336, China
India - British Deputy High Commission, 11th Floor Namam Chambers, C32/ G Block, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai 40051, India
Australasia - 180a Warringah Road, Beacon Hill 2100, NSW, Australia
South Korea - IKP Building 8th Floor, 300-6 Yomgok-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul Korea 137-170
USA East Coast - 580 Harrison Ave, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, USA
USA Midwest - 200 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 3100, Chicago, IL 60606, USA
USA West Coast - 600 Anton Boulevard, 11th Floor, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA
USA West Coast - 530 Lytton Ave, Suite 205, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA
Germany - c/o Dr Baumer Consultants, Leimengrubenstrasse 16, 70839 Gerlingen, Germany
France - Quartier St Marcel, 84830 Serignan du Comtat, Vaucluse, France
South West of England Development Agency
Japan - 403, Nishiyama-kogyo Akasaka Building, 15-18 Akasaka 2 - Chome, Minato-ku , Tokyo 107 - 0052, Japan
China - RM 216, 2/F, Overseas Chinese Scholars Venture Bldg, Shenzhen Hi-tech Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China 518057
Australia and New Zealand- 23 Arden Street, North Melbourne, Victoria 3051, Australia
China - Yorkshire Forward China Office, A - 809 Zhejiang World Trade Centre, 122 Shuguang Road, Hangzhou 310007. P R China
India - Yorkshire Forward, British Deputy High Commission, Maker Chambers IV, Second Floor, 222 Jamnalal Bajaj Road, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021
(Shared with NWDA) Japan - Renai Partire Shiodome 5F, 2-18-3, Higashi Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0021, Japan.
Telephone Preference Service: Charities
Willie Rennie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effects of registration with the telephone preference scheme on the ability of charities to raise funds through telephone appeals. [256812]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 12 February 2009]: The Department has made no assessment of the effect of the registration with the telephone preference scheme (TPS) on the ability of charities to raise funds through telephone appeals. The effectiveness of the TPS is a matter for the Information Commissioner's Office.
The ability for consumers to register their wish not to be contacted unnecessarily by Direct Marketeers, whether they be charities or commercial organisations, is a key benefit of the telephone preference system.
Before they register with the TPS, consumers should bear in mind that they may miss out on calls from companies and charities that they would be happy to hear from. It is important to make sure that permission is given in advance to those companies and charities so they can continue to contact potential donors via the telephone.
Welsh Language
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many members of staff at each grade in his Department identify themselves as Welsh speakers. [257793]
Mr. McFadden: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Women and Equality
Age: Discrimination
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether the plans outlined in section seven of the Government's draft legislative programme on improved data collection on equality include the collection of data on discrimination based on age, with particular reference to children and young people under 18 years old; and if she will make a statement. [256485]
Maria Eagle: The reference to ‘improved data collection on equality’ made in the draft legislative programme relates to the equality measurement framework (EMF), currently under development at the London School of Economics and Oxford University, with support from the Government Equalities Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
The EMF is designed to measure all equality strands, including age. However, the framework is intended for adults only. The EHRC, Government Equalities Office and others are therefore considering whether a similar project could be developed to produce a set of indicators suitable for children.
Charities
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2009, Official Report, column 1312W, on charities, what criteria the Government Equalities Office used in determining applications for funding from the charities referred to; and if she will make a statement. [251980]
Maria Eagle: For the special fund for rape crisis centres, the following criteria were used:
Applicants had to be a member of Rape Crisis England and Wales, ensuring that the fund was targeted at those organisations where there was evidence of need for support;
Applicants had to have a demonstrable charitable purpose;
Applications for funding could only be sought for the continuation of support services to victims of sexual violence.
For the three other charities listed in 20 January 2009, Official Report, column 1312W, the main criteria were:
Applicants had to have a demonstrable charitable purpose;
The projects for which funding was sought had to contribute to the Government Equalities Office's departmental strategic objective to address the disadvantage that individuals experience because of their gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.
As set out in my answer to 251979, decisions on any future funding to these or other charities will be announced in the usual way.
Departmental Buildings
Greg Clark: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will place in the Library a copy of the (a) display energy certificates and (b) advisory reports for public buildings issued in respect of each property occupied by the Government Equalities Office. [256058]
Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office is based in Eland House, the headquarters building of Communities and Local Government.
It will fall to CLG to place copies of the relevant certificates and reports in the Library.
Departmental Foreign Workers
David Simpson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many (a) EU foreign nationals and (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by the Government Equalities Office. [256196]
Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office employs five EU foreign nationals and three non-EU foreign nationals.
Equality: Pay
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent steps the Government have taken to reduce the gender pay gap. [251679]
Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the recent answer given to the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Mrs. Miller) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Women and Equality on 27 January 2009, Official Report, columns 160-61.
Rape: Victim Support Schemes
Lynne Jones: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many rape crisis centres have closed in each of the last five years; how much has been spent on (a) services for rape victims and (b) rape crisis centres in each of the last five years; what steps she is taking to increase the (i) capacity and (ii) financial stability of rape crisis centres; and if she will make a statement. [255614]
Maria Eagle: The Government do not record information on rape crisis centre closures. However information provided by Rape Crisis England and Wales in 2008 stated that eight centres had closed in the previous three years with a further two centres closing temporarily, before re-opening. In March 2008 the Minister for Women, Harriet Harman announced a special fund to prevent the closure of at-risk rape crisis centres. Since that time, no centres have closed.
The following table summarises total Government funding to (a) services for rape victims, and (b) rape crisis centres (identified as affiliated to Rape Crisis England and Wales in the given year) in each of the last five years. The figures in the table represent funding streams from across Government.
| £ | |||||
| 2008-09 | 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | |
The Government have invested around £11 million over the last five years in specialist services for victims of sexual violence; this is in addition to funding provided locally. Most of this funding has come from the Victims. Fund.
The Government have taken steps to build the capacity and sustainability of organisations working with victims of rape and sexual violence and to raise the issue of sexual violence locally. This has included providing £150,000 core funding to umbrella organisations, Rape Crisis England and Wales and The Survivors’ Trust to help build the stability of the sector, including increasing capacity of rape crisis centres.
In relation to (ii) I met with Rape Crisis England and Wales and the Survivors Trust on 12 February to discuss the financial stability of the sector going forward.
Children, Schools and Families
Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the policy of Connexions is on the provision to students under the age of 16 years attending Catholic schools of access to (a) abortion and (b) abortifacient birth control drugs and devices without parental (i) knowledge and (ii) permission; and if he will make a statement. [256727]
Beverley Hughes: Under-16s have the same right to confidential advice on abortion and contraception—including emergency contraception—as adults. Where a young woman discloses to a non-health professional working in a school—such as a Connexions Personal Adviser or Youth Worker—that they are, or may be pregnant, the professional should refer the young woman to a health professional. There is no legal obligation to inform or seek permission from the young woman’s parent or carer before making the referral, although professionals are required to make every effort to encourage the young woman to talk to her parent or carer.
However, confidentiality is not absolute and can be breached if the professional judges that the young woman is at risk of significant harm. If this is the case, the professional would follow local child protection procedures.
Apprentices
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 4 June 2008, Official Report, column 947W, on apprentices, what progress his Department has made towards meeting its share of the Government's commitment to employ over 1,000 apprentices in central Government Departments and agencies in 2008-09. [256253]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Children Schools and Families, and for Innovation Universities and Skills together with other members of the Cabinet this week announced 21,000 new apprenticeships in the public sector to deliver on the Government's pledge earlier this year to create 35,000 additional apprenticeship places. This will considerably expand the number of apprenticeship places in frontline public services including hospitals, schools, colleges and town halls across the country in 2009-10. The following table sets out the number of people undertaking apprenticeship training as part of the Government Skills National Apprenticeship Pathfinder scheme in 2008-09:
| Department | Numbers currently on apprenticeship programmes | Total numbers expected to start apprenticeship programmes in 2008-09 |
| (1) I refer the right hon. Member to the reply to his question of 9 February 2009, Official Report, column 1618W. | ||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |