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Written Answers
Wednesday, 19th December 2001.
Incitement to Hatred
Baroness Ludford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What protection exists under existing legislation against incitement to hatred or discrimination towards particular groups, such as women or homosexuals; under the inspiration of religious thinking.[HL1236]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker): The Government recognise that there are a number of groups which may be seen to be vulnerable to attack or vilification. It is already the case that the courts will consider a premeditated attack on a person because, for example, of their gender or sexual orientation as an aggravated offence meriting a more serious sentence.
In the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Disorder Act we sought to deal with the specific areas of race and religion because those areas presented a particular problem which needed to be addressed and which apply equally to all members of society. It is not the role of government to take a position on the rites, beliefs or practices of any particular religious faith other than where these give rise to conflict with common or criminal law.
We have recently published a consultation document containing proposals for taking forward the implementation of the EC Article 13 Race and Employment Directives. The proposals include introducing new legislation prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, age and sexual orientation in the areas of employment, occupation and training.
Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill Consultation
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have received advice from Professor Brice Dickson, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, on the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill; what was that advice; and whether they intend to accept it.[HL1744]
Lord Rooker: My ministerial colleagues and I have received representations from many organisations, groups and individuals, including the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, concerning the proposals contained within the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill. We have read and carefully considered all the concerns raised by the commission and others throughout the development and passage of this Bill and this has been reflected in the decisions we have taken at each stage.
Prisons: Chaplaincy Areas
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will place in the Library of the House drawings of the chaplaincy areas in prisons using the Bullingdon repeat design and those provided in the new private prisons such as Rye Hill.[HL1887]
Lord Rooker: The Prison Service will place appropriate drawings of chaplaincy areas in the Library of the House.
Racially-aggravated Offences
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are considering the merits and potential benefits of a review of existing legislation giving protection against racial hatred and racially aggravated crimes; whether parliamentary post-legislative scrutiny would throw light on any need for new protection for religious minorities.[HL2027]
Lord Rooker: The Government have commissioned reseach on the implementation of the laws on racially-aggravated offences contained in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The research will be published in due course.
The Government have given detailed consideration to the question of amendments to the legislation on incitement to racial hatred and racially-aggravated offences in the context of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act which last week received Royal Assent. Under this Act, the maximum penalty available to the courts for the offence of incitement to racial hatred has been increased from two to seven years. It is also now an offence to incite hatred against a racial group abroad as well as in this country. In addition, the Act expands the existing provisions on racially-aggravated offences to cover offences motivated by religious hostility.
The Government have not ruled out the possibility of a further review of the law to consider whether religious or other groups might be offered the same kind of protection as exists for racial groups. However, there are no current plans to undertake such a review.
Asylum Seekers: Accommodation
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which accommodation providers are currently contracted with the National Asylum Support Service to provide accommodation for asylum seekers; and for each provider how many places they are contracted to provide and where.[HL2028]
Lord Rooker: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has entered into contracts with accommodation providers from both the private and
public sector, a registered social landlord and a charity. The organisations are as follows:
- Cardiff City Council
- Devon County Council
- East Midlands Consortium
- Glasgow City Council
- North East Consortium
- North West Consortium
- Northern Ireland Housing Executive
- Peterborough City Council
- Southampton City Council
- West Midlands Consortium
- Yorkshire and Humberside Consortium
- Adelphi Hotels
- Angel Group Limited
- Capital Accommodation Limited
- Clearsprings
- Landmark
- Leena Corporation
- Roselodge Limited
- Safehaven
- YMCA Glasgow
| Region | Cluster |
| East of England | Ipswich Norwich Cambridge Great Yarmouth Peterborough |
| East Midlands | Leicester Nottingham Lincoln Derby |
| Greater London | London |
| South Central and East | Brighton & Hove Hastings & St. Leonards Southampton Portsmouth |
| North East | Newcastle Middlesbrough Sunderland North Tyneside Gateshead South Tyneside Redcar & Cleveland Hartlepool Darlington Stockton on Tees |
| North West | Manchester (Gtr Manchester) Bolton (Gtr Manchester) Bury (Gtr Manchester) Oldham (Gtr Manchester) Rochdale (Gtr Manchester) Salford (Gtr Manchester) Stockport (Gtr Manchester) Tameside (Gtr Manchester) Trafford (Gtr Manchester) Wigan (Gtr Manchester) Burnley Blackburn Liverpool Nelson |
| Northern Ireland | Belfast Other |
| Scotland | Edinburgh Glasgow |
| South West | Bristol Gloucester Swindon Taunton & Bridgewater Exeter South Gloucestershire Torbay Plymouth North Somerset Bath |
| Wales | Cardiff Newport Swansea Wrexham Bridgend & Porthcawl |
| West Midlands | Birmingham Coventry Wolverhampton Dudley Sandwell Solihull Walsall Stoke on Trent |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | Sheffield Bradford & Keighley Leeds Rotherham Wakefield Hull Kirklees Doncaster Halifax Barnsley Grimsby |
I regret that I am unable to supply information about how many spaces they are contracted to provide since details of individual contracts between NASS and its suppliers are commercial in confidence.
Baroness Massey of Darwen asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Rooker: On 12 January my right honourable friend the then Minister of State at the Home Office announced the intention to develop a performance testing scheme under which poorly performing prisons would be identified and required to develop a plan for improvement within a fixed period; if the plan was acceptable, the prison would operate under a service level agreement, with strict monitoring of delivery
The director general has selected two establishments, Her Majesty's Prison Leicester and Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution and Remand Centre Reading, for performance testing. They will be given six months to produce proposals for a much improved level of service.
Lord Tomlinson asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Rooker: Earlier today, on the basis of certificates my right honourable friend the Home Secretary signed under Part 4 of the Act, following careful and detailed consideration, the Immigration Service detained eight foreign nationals whom my right honourable friend suspects to be international terrorists. They were detained earlier today and will be held in secure prison accommodation. My right honourable friend will not disclose their names unless they themselves first do so.
Part 4 of the Act gives my right honourable friend powers to issue a certificate in respect of someone whom he believes to be a risk to national security and suspect to be an international terrorist. The Act also gives powers for his deportation and, where his removal or departure from the United Kingdom is prevented (whether temporarily or indefinitely), for his detention.
A person detained has the right to apply for bail to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, which is a superior court of record under the Act. He may also appeal to the commission to have the certificate cancelled. In these circumstances it would be inappropriate for my right honourable friend to comment further. A person detained is free to leave the United Kingdom at any time.
My right honourable friend will continue to keep the exercise of the powers in Part 4 of the Act under close review.
What plans they have for identifying and improving poorly performing prisons.[HL2133]
What plans they have to use the powers under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.[HL2134]
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