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Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos): The UK and our EU partners regularly raise with the Algerian Government our concerns about human rights violations in Algeria. The then FCO Minister, my honourable friend the Member for Exeter, did so during his visit to Algiers in September 2001. We continue to urge Algeria to comply fully with all its obligations under international human rights law, including the investigation of human rights violations, the intimidation of human rights defenders and to allow visits by special rapporteurs.
The European Union mission pressed the Algerian authorities for a response on the "disappeared". This was to follow up the list that had been sent by the Presidency in April 2001 and was also raised by the Presidency in December 2001.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Amos: We understand that Iceland Air Prevented two British passport holders from flying to Iceland during the recent visit by President Jiang Zemin.
This was a matter for the Icelandic authorities.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Amos: The 16 Falun Gong demonstrators who were arrested in March have all been charged with public order offences. Their trial, which began on 17 June, is still continuing and Her Majesty's Government therefore cannot comment on the outcome of the cases. We have confidence in the impartiality of the Hong Kong judicial system which is independent from that of mainland China.
Under Article 23 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administative Region (SAR) (in efffect Hong Kong's constitution), the SAR Government are required to enact laws on their own to prohibit, among other things, subversion. The SAR Government have committed themselves to undertake wide public consultation on the content of possible legislation, but have yet to announce any timetable for the consultation exercise or for the introduction of legislation. Her Majesty's Government welcome the commitment by the SAR Government to consult widely and consider it essential that any legislation is consistent with international human rights treaties.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Amos: We and EU partners have regularly made clear our concerns about such human rights issues in Iran. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary did so in Iran in September. The EU-sponsored resolution on human rights in Iran, which was put to the Commission on Human Rights in April, included references to both torture and public executions.
We also welcome the fact that the Iranian Parliament has approved a Bill aimed at enforcing the current constitutional prohibition of torture in Iran. Despite initial rejection of the Bill by the Guardian Council, the Parliament intends to resubmit the Bill.
Baroness Whitaker asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Amos: Wilton Park met all four of the agreed targets set for the 200102 financial year, for income, cost recovery, the number of conference
participants and cost per head to the FCO overall.Wilton Park's performance in 200102 and some of the targets for the current year are shown below.200102 targets | 200102 performance | 200203 targets | |
Income | £2,963,000 | £3,210,000 | £3,278,000 |
Cost recovery | 85.9% | 87.2% | 86.1% |
Number of conference participants | £2,400 | £3,033 | |
Cost to FCO per participant | £203 | £156 |
Wilton Park's targets have been adjusted from 200203 to give greater emphasis to service delivery. Measures for number of conference participants and cost to the FCO per participant have been dropped. Wilton Park's annual targets now work from framework targets for cost recovery (which is to recover all its cash costs i.e. excluding non-cash cost), quality of conference programmes and standards of service. New measures have been added for "excellent" ratings awarded respectively for conference programmes and for conference administration. The 200203 targets for the two new measures are:
"Excellent" ratings awarded for conference programmes: 56 per cent (an increase of 2 per cent on the informal target for 200102).
"Excellent" ratings awarded for conference administration: 89 per cent (an increase of 1.1 per cent on the informal target for 200102).
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Amos: From a community of over 19,500 persons entitled to immunity, 21 serious offences, allegedly committed by such persons, were drawn to the attention of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2001. ''Serious offences'' are defined in accordance with the 1985 White Paper on Diplomatic Immunities and Privilegesi.e. as offences that would in certain circumstances carry a penalty of 12 months or more imprisonment.
Baroness Greengross asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many serious offences were committed in 2001 by persons entitled to immunity by virtue of their employment by Diplomatic Missions or an international organisation, and their dependants.[HL5363]
What regulation is in place for the home security industry providing fire alarm, burglar alarm and similar services to the residential market. [HL2427]
22 Jul 2002 : Column WA4
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): None. The Private Security Industry Act 2001 contains provisions for the Security Industry Authority to regulate security guards and other specified sectors of the private security industry under a licensing system in the near future, but this does not include operators that provide alarms and similar services.
Lord Lucas asks Her Majesty's Government: What are their best estimates, based on what evidence, of the numbers of people who would fall within Clause 6 (4) of their draft Mental Health Bill (a) in total, (b) who have no criminal conviction for a serious offence, and (c) who fall outside the Mental Health Act 1983 due to the ''treatability'' concept that it embodies; and what their best estimates are, and based on what evidence, of the number of serious crimes committed each year by persons falling within each of the categories (a), (b) and (c) above.[HL5088]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: No individual will be dealt with under the proposed legislation who does not meet all the conditions set out in Clause 6 of the draft Mental Health Bill. It is not a matter of different people being caught under different conditions.
The clause relates to the use of compulsory powers. Subsections (2) to (5) set out the four conditions which must be satisfied in all respects before any power to impose compulsory examination, assessment or treatment can be used. So these conditions and this clause relates to all those who come under compulsory powers, not just mentally disordered offenders or those who are a risk to others.
It is estimated that, in total 26,774 persons per annum could fall within Clause 6 of the draft Bill. The best evidence for this estimate comes from the operation of the Mental Health Act 1983 in relation to the 26,650 formal admissions to hospital recorded in 200001. In addition, however, forecasts derived from the Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity Survey of Prisoners indicate that 124 persons per annum could fall within Clause 6 as a result of being at substantial risk of serious harm to other persons due to a severe personality disorder. The latter group could fall outside the 1983 Act.
Central statistical databases do not hold information on the criminal convictions of all people admitted under the Mental Health Act 1983, other than for restricted patients and persons given unrestricted hospital orders by the courts. This additional information could be collected only at disproportionate cost. It is therefore not possible to estimate the total number of persons subject to Clause 6 of the draft Bill who do not have a criminal conviction for a serious offence. However, it is estimated that, of restricted patients and persons given unrestricted hospital orders admitted to hospital in
2000 under the 1983 Act, 664 were admitted for non-sexual or non-violent offences.As indicated above, 124 persons per annum could fall within Clause 6 as a result of being at substantial risk of serious harm to other persons due to a severe personality disorder and could fall outside the 1983 Act.
In relation to the number of serious crimes commited each year it is not possible to determine the number of crimes committed by those falling within the draft Bill because some crimes are undetected by the authorities. Central statistical databases also do not record the criminal convictions of all persons subject to the 1983 Act. However, of the restricted patients admitted and the number of persons given unrestricted hospital orders by the courts under the 1983 Act, in 2000 a total of 929 had been charged or convicted of a sexual or violent offence (including arson). It is not possible to determine the number of serious crimes committed by those who have no criminal conviction for a serious offence for the
reasons stated above. Two hundred sexual or violent convictions are estimated to be recorded per annum by those at substantial risk of serious harm to other persons due to a severe personality disorder. The latter group could fall outside the 1983 Act.
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