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Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Her Majesty's Government were fully involved in the negotiation of the Race Directive (Council Directive 2000/43/EC), at the Social Questions Working Group, at COREPER and at the Social Affairs Council. There was no discussion whatsoever about either the inclusion or the exclusion of discrimination based on colour from the scope of the Race Directive.
The Commission's original draft directive, published in November 1999, which formed the basis of the negotiations, included only "race or ethnic origin" as the grounds of discrimination. None of the member states' delegations suggested adding other grounds which their own national legislation already covered, or which were of particular concern in their own national contexts. This was in recognition that EC Directives set a minimum standard beyond which member states' legislation canand in the case of the United Kingdom doesextend.
Beyond this, the Government cannot speculate on the Commission's rationale for the non-inclusion of colour in the grounds of discrimination covered by the directive.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The vast majority of victims of discrimination based on colour will continue to be protected under the provisions of the Race Relations Act 1976 which are similar in many respects to the legislation implementing the other Article 13 directives. The changes made by the regulations in order to ensure full compliance with the directive conform to the scope of the directive, which does not extend its protection to discrimination based on colour, or indeed nationality. Victims of discrimination based colour will not be less well protected, by virtue of these regulations, than victims of discrimination based on nationality.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We understand that three member states in addition to the United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden and Italyhave recently updated their anti-discrimination rules or legislation to take account of the race directive. We do not
currently have any information about the exact nature of the changes made in those three states, nor are we able to speculate about the position in the other member states.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Commission for Racial Equality has made representations about the exclusion of discrimination based on colour from the Race Directive (Council Directive 2000/43/EC).[HL4179]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Commission for Racial Equality submitted responses to the Government's public consultations on the implementation of the EC Article 13 Race and Employment Directives Towards Equality and Diversity (December 2001) and Equality and Diversity: The way ahead (October 2002). These responses include representations for inclusion of "colour" as one of the protected grounds in the race regulations.
Lord Scott of Foscote asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: No ratification procedure is required for the agreements. The provisions in the Extradition Agreement are either contained or reflected within the Extradition Bill that is currently before Parliament, or within the UKUS bilateral extradition treaty, signed on 31 March 2003; or else they require administrative changes that will simplify and speed up the procedures before transmitting extradition documentation.
The provisions of most articles of the Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement are either already in place or reflect those in the Crime (International Co-operation) Bill that is also now before Parliament; or else can be provided for using secondary legislation under that Bill and earlier Acts of Parliament.
Lord Scott of Foscote asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The assurances given by my honourable friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office, Bob Ainsworth, on 4 June 2003, as recorded in the letter to him from the noble Lord, Lord Grenfell, of 12 June, are a matter of public record.
The Extradition Bill, currently before Parliament, is consistent with the assurances by guaranteeing that there will be no extradition where there is a possibilty of the death penalty being carried out, and no extradition where it would breach the European Convention on Human Rights.
Lord Chadlington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Results from the Criminality Survey, a large survey of newly arrived male prisoners carried out in 2000, show that 31 per cent had used heroin in the year prior to being sent to prison.
Lord Chadlington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government announced the launch of heroin prescribing guidance on 13 June 2003. The guidance was developed to complement and expand on existing Department of Health guidelines, Drug misuse and dependence: guidelines on clinical management.
The guidance is based on a fresh examination of the latest national and international evidence and best practice and represents a consensus of expert opinion
on injectable prescribing. Discussions are taking place between the Home Office, the Department of Health and National Treatment Agency on pilot projects to test aspects of the guidance.Funding for these is under discussion.
Lord Chadlington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government has identified the need to address the particular issues of offending by this age group and to use the experience of the youth justice reforms to inform its approach. In doing so, we will take account of the recommendations of the Social Exclusion Unit Report, Reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners.
Compared with older prisoners, offenders aged 18 to 20 have fewer basic skills, higher unemployment rates and are more likely to have been excluded from school. The most immediate priority, therefore, for reducing their re-offending is to improve their access to programmes and support.
We have agreed that the new funding provided for prison education should have a particular focus on 18 to 20 year-olds. Priority has therefore been given to expanding provision in establishments holding female prisoners and young offenders aged 18 to 20. We have also agreed that the strategy for this age group should be underpinned by the principle of testing new approaches to sentence delivery through 18 to 20 year-olds in the first instance. For example, the National Probation Directorate has already commenced piloting the Intensive Control and Change Programme (ICCP) which will be delivered through a community punishment and rehabilitation order (CPRO) and involves a number of key partner agencies, such as the Police and Connexions. One of the aims of the ICCP is to reduce reconviction rates by 10 per cent compared with a similar group receiving short custodial sentences.
The Government have also funded the extension of the High Intensity Training Programme (HIT), previously piloted at HM Young Offenders Institution Thorn Cross, and planned to start at HMYOI Deerbolt later this year. The regime included offending behaviour, education, mentoring and throughcare components.
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