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People Trafficking: Children
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
How they will co-ordinate the activities and responsibilities of the Home Office, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health as regards the identification and subsequent care of trafficked children and young people; who is the lead individual or agency; and how they will establish accountability. [HL5635]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Home Office leads the Government's work to combat human trafficking and chairs a cross-government ministerial group which co-ordinates action. Issues relating to the identification and care of trafficked children and young people form an important strand within that programme of work.
16 May 2006 : Column WA28
Police: Reorganisation
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What representation, written or otherwise, the Home Office or Secretary of State for the Home Department received from the Welsh First Minister regarding their plans for police force restructuring in Wales; and whether they will place a copy of any such correspondence in the Library of the House. [HL5200]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The former Home Secretary and Police Minister were in close contact with the Welsh First Minister and Minister for Social Justice and Regeneration regarding the plans for police force restructuring in Wales, and their successors will continue this close working relationship. In accordance with the exemption in Section 28 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, correspondence will not be placed in the Library of the House.
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the representations made by each of the police authorities in Wales regarding the police force mergers were for or against those mergers. [HL5270]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The four Welsh police authorities submitted business cases in December, but at that point were unable to indicate a preferred option.
Prisoners: Foreign Nationals
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many foreign former prisoners released under licence into the community since 1999, who are still resident in the United Kingdom, are in receipt of social security benefits; and how much has been paid to them since their release from prison. [HL5524]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The information is not available; the department does not keep data that would allow us to identify claimants by nationality or whether they had previously been in prison.
Prisons: Open and Semi-open
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
16 May 2006 : Column WA29- proportion of women prisoners are held in (a) open prisons, and (b) semi-open prisons; and what are the corresponding proportions for male prisoners. [HL5419]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Information on the number and proportion of female and male prisoners held in open and semi-open conditions in given in the table.
1 Includes those held in the removal centres of Dover, Haslar and Lindholme.
2 Includes remand, sentenced and non-criminal prisoners.
Prisons: Records
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2 May (WA 58), whether the inmate core files of persons serving custodial sentences which are retained by the prison from which a prisoner is released are automatically transferred to the prison to which an offender is assigned on a subsequent conviction. [HL5581]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): No, the receiving prison is required to request any known previous records from the last discharging prison.
Race Equality Group
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What initiatives are being taken to attract support from the ethnic minority communities for the proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights. [HL5393]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): An advisory panel, called the Race Equality Group, is being set up by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The panel will be consulted about race equality priorities for the new commission, and related matters. This supplements the work of the steering group on the new commission, which consists of key stakeholders in the subjects for which the new commission will be responsible, including a representative of the Commission for Racial Equality.
16 May 2006 : Column WA30
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made in setting up the Race Equality Group to consider ethnic minority views and perspectives on the Discrimination Law Review and concerns about the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights. [HL5466]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: It is hoped to hold a first meeting of the Race Equality Group on 23 May.
Roads: Utility Works
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to bring forward secondary legislation under the Traffic Management Act 2004, including the Code of Practice on Noticing of Works and the permit regulations; and what are the causes of the delay in bringing forward this legislation. [HL5420]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The department is working to ensure that the regulations are produced as soon as possible. A revised timetable has been issued and the regulation and associated Code of Practice for Noticing of Works will be laid early in 2007, while the regulation for permits will be laid in mid-2007. The regulations are complex and this has taken longer than originally anticipated. It is important to ensure that these regulations and associated codes of practice are workable.
Sudan: Proscribed Individuals
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to freeze the assets of, and deny access to the United Kingdom to, those Sudanese individuals proscribed by the United Nations Security Council on 25 April. [HL5565]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): In order to give effect to UN Security Council Resolution 1672 (2006) within the United Kingdom we are taking steps to update our legislation to reflect this new resolution. The Bank of England, acting as HM Treasury's agent for administering financial sanctions in the United Kingdom, has already publicised the United Nations' adoption of Security Council Resolution 1672 (2006). Until the UN travel ban is designated under UK legislation, it is given effect using administrative powers in the Immigration Rules to deny entry to the UK. The details of those subject to the restrictive travel measures have already been added to the appropriate UK databases, which will alert immigration officials in the UK and overseas should they seek entry to the UK.
16 May 2006 : Column WA31
Transport: Speed Governors
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any plans to require all private vehicles to have speed governors fitted. [HL5653]
Lord Davies of Oldham: There are no plans to require all private vehicles to have speed limiters fitted.
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