Asked by: Baroness Afshar (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
Her Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to government departments, local authorities and other public bodies and agencies to avoid referring to British citizens by their creed, race or colour other than in contexts in which it is strictly necessary to do so.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government has issued no such guidance and has no plans to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Afshar (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the attack outside the Muslim Welfare House, near Finsbury Park mosque, what measures they are taking to prevent further violence in the name of religion.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Violence of any kind is abhorrent and the Government will do what is necessary to ensure the safety of its citizens and protect national security. The Government is taking action against all forms of terrorism and extremism, including the major threat from Islamist violent extremism. Our response includes the Counter Extremism strategy, the new Commission for Countering Extremism, and the hate crime action plan.
We are also reviewing our Counter Terrorism strategy to ensure we have all the powers and measures we need to keep our communities safe. In 2015, the Chancellor announced that cross-government spending on Counter-Terrorism would be increased by 30% - increasing CT spending from the protected £11.7bn over five years to £15.1bn over the same period. We have dedicated funding to help protect places of worship who have been subject or vulnerable to a hate crime.
Asked by: Baroness Afshar (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 3 April (HL Deb, col 844), what representations they have made to the government of Israel to respect the terms of the Balfour Declaration, and to cease the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
It has long been the Government’s view that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is governed by the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, to which Israel is a state party. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including settlements and the treatment of Palestinian children in military custody.
Asked by: Baroness Afshar (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect the rights of women in Syria, as part of their overseas operations in that country.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
All of the projects the UK funds through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund in Syria incorporate awareness of gender equality issues and work to promote the empowerment of women. In particular, we have supported women-led projects through a governance programme, which has enabled women to participate in community engagement activities, project development and decision-making at the local level.
Asked by: Baroness Afshar (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 27 February (HL Deb, col 575), what measures they have taken to ensure that, at the point of entry into the UK, passport controllers focus on the legitimate passports presented by passengers and do not ascribe an assumed identity to visitors in terms of their dress code, nationality or religion.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Border Force officers undertake mandatory checks on all passengers arriving in the United Kingdom. Checks include conducting an examination of the person’s passport or other documents to establish their right to enter the United Kingdom. Border Force officers receive training and have access to comprehensive guidance to ensure the correct right of entry to the United Kingdom is applied. Border Force also employs a robust assurance programme to ensure passengers are dealt with correctly, consistently and without unlawful discrimination.
Asked by: Baroness Afshar (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Nash on 6 March, what measures are in place to support minority women who choose atypical professions to embark on such careers and continue them effectively and to deal with public prejudices that prevail about such work not only on grounds of gender, but also colour and creed.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Equality Act 2010 prohibits unlawful discrimination in employment on grounds of gender, race and religion.
Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith’s recent report into the issues faced by business in developing Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) talent from recruitment through to the executive layer made a number of recommendations for both Government and business.
The Government welcomed Baroness McGregor-Smith’s report and is encouraging businesses to take forward her recommendations. The practicalities of implementation will differ depending on the business in question but we will be working with Business in the Community in supporting companies to make these changes. These include developing a simple guide on how to discuss race in the workplace, an online portal of best practice and celebrating success through a list of the top 100 BME employers.
Dame Louise’s Casey’s review of integration and opportunity, published in December 2016, also highlights the employment prospects and English language proficiency among certain groups, including minority women. The Government is currently reviewing its findings and will respond in the coming months.
Ensuring the labour market provides equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, religion or gender, will require a joint effort with Government working with the private sector and organisations like Business in the Community to deliver the lasting change needed.