Written Answers to Questions
Friday 6 March 2009
Women and Equality
British Humanist Association
Robert Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much funding the Equality and Human Rights Commission has given to the British Humanist Association since the Commission's inception; and for what purposes. [259520]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission has provided the British Humanist Association a total of £35,000 to fund a programme of work with the stated outcome to deliver ‘increased understanding of issues of religion or belief in the context of equality and human rights within the voluntary sector, media and general public; via research, conferences, guidance documents and media work'.
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, how many (a) charities and (b) faith-based charities have applied for funding from the Government Equalities Office and been declined since 12 October 2007. [251981]
Maria Eagle: One of the 28 applications for support from the special fund for rape crisis centres was declined as the applicant did not meet all the eligibility criteria set out in my answer to PQ 251980, on 24 February 2009, Official Report, columns 738-9W.
No applications from faith-based charities have been received and declined.
Hospitality: Equality and Human Rights Commission
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission spent on entertainment of each type in 2008-09. [258975]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission has spent £6,151 on hospitality in 2008-09.
Human Rights
Robert Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the (a) timetable and (b) remit of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's inquiry into human rights in Britain is. [259530]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission launched its Human Rights Inquiry in April 2008 and is due to report in spring 2009. The terms of reference are:
To assess progress towards the effectiveness and enjoyment of a culture of respect for human rights in Great Britain
To consider how the current human rights framework might best be developed and used to realise the vision of a society built on fairness and respect, confident in all aspects of its diversity.
The inquiry, which covers England and Wales, will investigate:
Public attitudes to the Human Rights Act
How the Human Rights Act is working
How it is used by public authorities and other organisations where appropriate.
Further information about the inquiry including the terms of reference can be found on the Commission's website:
Travelling People
Robert Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality in which planning cases relating to Travellers the Equality and Human Rights Commission has made an intervention since it was established. [259426]
Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has only intervened in the case of McCarthy and Others v Basildon district council.
The EHRC intervened in this particular appeal in order to advise on how the law in relation to race and disability discrimination should be applied in cases involving Gypsy and Travellers evictions. The EHRC offered guidance on how councils should come to these decisions to ensure they meet their legal obligations to go about such decisions in a fair and transparent way.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Small Businesses: Wiltshire
Mr. Gray: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small and medium-sized enterprises were registered in (a) North Wiltshire constituency, (b) Wiltshire and (c) Swindon in each year since 1997. [259504]
Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what estimate has been made of the number of small to medium-sized enterprises registered in (a) North Wiltshire constituency, (b) Wiltshire and (c) Swindon in each year since 1997. (259504)
Annual statistics on business size and location are available from the ONS release on UK Business: Activity, Size and Location. The table below contains enterprise counts from 2000 to 2008. These data are not available prior to 2000.
| Count of small and medium enterprises in Swindon UA, Wiltshire county and North Wiltshire | |||||||||
| Employee size | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
Electoral Commission Committee
Jenny Watson
Mr. Heath: To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what further information the Speaker's Committee has received about the outside interests of the chairman of the Electoral Commission. [261803]
Sir Peter Viggers: During the debate on 17 December 2008 on the Motion to appoint Jenny Watson as chairman of the Electoral Commission, I informed the House that Ms Watson had agreed to give up all her other paid appointments, with the exception of her role as a member of the board of the Audit Commission. Ms Watson has subsequently informed the Speaker's Committee that she wishes to retain another of her paid appointments, as a non-executive director of the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP). WRAP is a publicly-funded company which works with businesses and consumers to encourage recycling.
The Speaker's Committee has considered Ms Watson's request and has concluded that there is no conflict of interest. Neither, in the Committee's judgment, does Ms Watson's retention of her two non-executive roles impinge on her ability to fulfil her commitment to work three days a week as chairman of the Electoral Commission. Ms Watson works three days a month for the Audit Commission and a further two days a month for WRAP.
Transport
Roads: Accidents
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) males and (b) females in each age group were (i) slightly and (ii) seriously injured whilst (A) crossing the road in and (B) taking part in a public demonstration in Parliament square in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [261536]
Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2007, two pedestrians were slightly injured in reported personal injury road accidents while crossing the road in Parliament square—one male casualty in December and one female casualty in April. There was one seriously injured male casualty in January. All three casualties were adults aged 16 to 59 years old.
Information on the number of collisions involving persons taking part in public demonstrations is not collected.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents occurred in Parliament square in each of the last 12 months; how many (a) involved and (b) were found to have been caused by persons taking part in public demonstrations opposite Carriage Gates; and if he will make a statement. [261537]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported personal injury road accidents in 2007 that occurred in Parliament square are given in the following table:
| Injury accidents | |
Information on the number of collisions involving or caused by persons taking part in public demonstrations opposite ‘Carriage Gates’ is not collected.
Roads: Lancashire
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2008, Official Report, column 23W, on roads: Lancashire, how many meetings his officials have held with Lancashire county council officials about work supported by a road safety partnership grant not specific to the A59; where those meetings were held; and what decisions were made at those meetings. [260663]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport (DFT) awarded Lancashire county council a Road Safety Partnership Grant of £15,000 in May 2007 for the purpose of developing a web-based interactive road safety auditor’s checklist, for use across the country.
Relating to this, a DFT officer has met with Lancashire county council officers six times to monitor progress and to advise about the project. These meetings were held in Lancashire county council’s offices in Preston.
The award of a further partnership grant project involving Lancashire county council was announced on 4 March. There have been no meetings between officials and those of the county council about this work since it has been supported by partnership grant. However officials have met during the formulation of Lancashire’s bid for funding support.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |