| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
13 July 2009 : Column 30W—continued
promote equality of opportunity between men and women.
In regard to the (i) protection of and (ii) provision of advice to female victims of domestic violence by male asylum-seeking partners or former partners, the authorities have the following responsibilities:
The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own.
A range of support for victims of domestic violence is available. Some victims will be accommodated in refuges, but sanctuary schemes and mainstream local authority accommodation may be an option for others. Some victims will pursue independent solutions with help and advice from support schemes as necessary.
In 2007-08 local authorities spent £64.5 million of their funding allocated through the supporting people programme on housing related support services for women at risk of domestic violence.
Police authorities have two main functions: (i) to secure an efficient and effective police force and (ii) to hold the police to account on behalf of the public.
Police authorities have three further functions: (i) to monitor the force's compliance with human rights; (ii) to co-operate with other forces and authorities; and (iii) to promote equality and diversity within the force.
The updated domestic abuse handbook and cd-rom "Responding to Domestic Abuse: a handbook for health professionals", which was published in December 2005, provides advice and guidance on how the health service can respond to all women who are victims of domestic abuse.
The advice and protection available to victims of domestic violence is dependent on their individual circumstances and needs. It is not contingent on the immigration status of their partner or former partner.
Recruitment
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recruitment equality data her Office holds on each government department for each of the last three years. [284633]
Angela E. Smith: I have been asked to reply.
Recruitment equality data are not held centrally. Individual employing departments are responsible for collecting equality recruitment data.
International Development
Africa: International Assistance
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to his Department's most recent White Paper, page 34, what the structure of the new proposed multidonor facility across Africa will be; where will it be hosted; and how much funding over what period his Department plans to provide the facility. [286406]
Mr. Michael Foster: The aim of the new multi-donor facility is to build the capacity of micro-finance institutions to deliver sustainable microfinance services across Africa. We are currently running consultations on the project and once these are complete we will be able to give further details.
Departmental Secondment
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years. [284890]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: No member of the Department for International Development's staff has been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years.
Overseas Aid: Animal Welfare
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what account his Department takes of animal welfare issues in its determination of aid funding. [284795]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) only examines animal welfare issues when aid funding is related to research involving animals or livestock production. In these cases DFID works with partners that have high animal welfare standards.
DFID keeps abreast of animal welfare issues through links with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). DFID supports the UK and European Union's backing of a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW) as an important means of raising awareness of animal welfare.
Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations the Government has made to the Sri Lankan government on allowing (a) the UN and (b) other relief organisations full access to camps for internally displaced peoples in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [285059]
Mr. Michael Foster: At ministerial and official levels, the Department for International Development (DFID) continues to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to allow United Nations and other humanitarian agencies to have full and unrestricted access to internally displaced people.
The Prime Minister raised humanitarian access with President Rajapakse on the 18 May. The Foreign Secretary also discussed the issue with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister when they met on 5 June, as did Lord Malloch-Brown with the Sri Lankan Minister for Trade and External Development when they met on 19 June. Our high commissioner to Sri Lanka regularly raises our concerns with senior members of the Sri Lankan Government.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what reports he has received on conditions in the internal displacement camps in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement; [285060]
(2) what his most recent assessment is of the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [285057]
Mr. Michael Foster: There are almost 284,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) held in camps in Vavuniya, Jaffna, Trincomalee and Mannar. The humanitarian situation is now moving from an emergency response to a stabilisation phase. Conditions in the camps remain basic but are improving as the priority needs of shelter, food, water, medicine and immediate access to surgical treatment are gradually met. The remaining areas of concern include high levels of malnutrition, overcrowding, inadequate water and sanitation facilities and lack of freedom of movement. Restrictions put on protection activities such as reuniting unaccompanied children with their families and the registration of the population as a whole are particularly concerning.
The UK Government urge the Government of Sri Lanka to facilitate the return of the IDPs as soon as possible and to allow humanitarian agencies to operate effectively on the ground.
House of Commons Commission
Members' Interests
Tony Baldry: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission with reference to page 28 of the Government's Draft Legislative Programme, what estimate the House of Commons Commission has made of the cost of registering the full details of any second jobs held by hon. Members including pay and hours. [285987]
Nick Harvey: The requirement to register details of the outside employment of hon. Members came into effect on 1 July 2009 at the same time as the requirement to register additional information about donations. The additional staff costs associated with recording the information about outside employment is provisionally estimated at one-third of a band C officer, costing about £10,000 in the current financial year. It is too soon to quantify the other costs involved.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions: Standards
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2009, Official Report, column 463W, on carbon emissions: standards, if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the responses to his Department's consultation on the term carbon neutral. [282001]
Joan Ruddock: Yes, I will place consultation responses in the Library, excluding the one received in confidence.
Carbon Trust: Energy Saving Trust
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the performance against objectives of (a) the Carbon Trust and (b) the Energy Saving Trust. [285081]
Joan Ruddock: DECC provides grant funding to the Energy Saving Trust to promote carbon abatement in the household sector, and to the Carbon Trust to support its work in accelerating the move to a low carbon economy by working with businesses and public sector organisations.
DECC has a range of measures in place to ensure the effective assessment of the Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust against these objectives. Both Trusts provide annual estimates of the carbon savings implemented by their customers as a result of their DECC-funded activities, and have processes in place to ensure a high level of assurance of the carbon savings they have delivered. In addition, the Trusts provide reports to the Department against the performance metrics set out in their business plans for each financial quarter.
The Carbon Trust was also the subject of a National Audit Office value for money review in 2007-08.
Civil Nuclear Constabulary
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will initiate a review of the salary structure of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary against relevant public sector comparators; and if he will make a statement. [283462]
Mr. Kidney: I am assuming your question relates to the salary structure for the civil nuclear constabulary (CNC) police officers, not staff.
CNC police officers pay and terms and conditions are linked to relevant Home Office police terms and conditions, and remuneration determined by the established link with the outcome of negotiations for the police negotiating body structure for Home Office Forces. The original principles determining the basic pay of members of CNC (up to and including superintendent ranks) is that it is linked to the pay of corresponding members of the MOD police (MDP), which in turn is linked to that of Home Office police taking account of the 95 per cent. weighting (i.e. MDP and CNC pay is set at 95 per cent. of Home Office police force pay). Any decision to review these arrangements would fall within the responsibilities of the civil nuclear police authority.
Departmental Energy
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which official is responsible for the energy efficiency of his Department's estate. [280563]
Joan Ruddock: The Permanent Secretary's responsibilities at the Department include the energy efficiency of the estate.
Departmental Procurement
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what changes have been made to his Department's (a) office equipment and (b) stationery purchasing policy in the last six months. [285310]
Joan Ruddock: No changes have been made.
Departmental Public Consultation
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consultations his Department has carried out since its establishment. [279413]
Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has carried out the following consultations since its establishment:
Consultation on Transposition of EU directive (2009/29/EC) revising EU directive (2003/87/EC) and relating to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data and National Implementation Measures;
A framework for the development of clean coal;
Proposals for A Future Exemptions Regime under The Radioactive Substances Act 1993 and The Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010;
Consultation on draft guidance on how to measure and report your greenhouse gas emissions;
Consultation on the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP);
Consultation on Smart Metering for Electricity and Gas;
Environmental Permitting Programme-Consultation on Government Guidance;
Guidance on Carbon Capture Readiness and Applications under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989: a consultation;
Consultations that have been closed:
Consultation on the Form and Content of New Climate Change Agreements;
Consultation on the Draft Order to Implement the Carbon Reduction Commitment;
Consultation on the term 'carbon neutral': its definition and recommendations for good practice;
Consultation on Transposition of EU directive (EC/2008/101) to include Aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS);
Heat and Energy Saving Strategy (HES) Consultation, Heat and Energy Saving Consultation Roadshows, Big Energy Shift;
Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP);
Government response to Offshore Electricity Transmission: a further joint Ofgem/DECC Regulatory Policy Update-final consultation document;
Consultation on the Proposed Offshore Gas Storage and Gas Unloading Licensing Scheme;
Consultation on The Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study;
Consultation on UK Offshore Energy SEA Environmental Report;
Consultation on proposed amendments to the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target 2008 to 2011;
Consultation on the Nuclear Industry Association's Application to Justify New Nuclear power stations;
Carbon units, the net carbon account and carbon accounting;
Consultation on offshore electricity transmission: a further joint Ofgem/DECC regulatory policy update;
Towards Carbon Capture and Storage;
The UK Renewable Energy Strategy.
Energy Saving Trust: Finance
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department and the bodies for which it is responsible has allocated to the Energy Saving Trust for (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13. [285083]
Joan Ruddock: DECC has allocated £38.5 million to the Energy Saving Trust for 2009-10, for the valuable work it undertakes to encourage and promote the sustainable and efficient use of energy.
DECC has also allocated £1 million to fund the Energy Saving Trust's three technological field trials.
The funding allocation for future years has not yet been confirmed.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding was provided by his Department to the Energy Saving Trust in each of the last five years. [285117]
Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) on 30 March 2009, Official Report, column 923W.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |