Asked by: Jim Sheridan (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues and Ministers of the Scottish Government on the relationship between oil prices and travel costs for cross-border commuters.
Answered by Alistair Carmichael
It is vital that the fall in oil prices is reflected in what consumers pay for travel, at the petrol pumps and in utility bills. The Government is monitoring the situation to ensure this is the case.
Asked by: Jim Sheridan (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will urge the European Commission to make public the negotiating mandate for the Trade in Services Agreement.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Government supports the new Trade Commissioner’s desire to bring greater transparency to trade negotiations. Official EU documents pertaining to trade negotiations should, in the Government’s view, as a matter of principle be published when to do so would not impact negatively on the EU’s ability to secure the best possible deal for Europe.
We have welcomed moves by the European Commission proactively to publish information on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). For the first time the Commission has published the full text of the EU initial offer and the proposal papers put forward by the EU during the negotiations. You may find the FAQs on this site a useful initial source of information. The website address is as follows; http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/tisa.
It is the Government’s view that publication of the TiSA mandate at this stage could hinder these important negotiations but we will keep this under review.
Asked by: Jim Sheridan (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he considers the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada to be a mixed agreement.
Answered by Matt Hancock
In the UK's view, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada includes policy areas that are Member State competence and as such should be a mixed agreement.
Asked by: Jim Sheridan (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the recent report by the human rights non-governmental organisation, CINEP on the role of the Colombian state in human rights abuses in Colombia; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Swire
We continue to receive a large number reports from a range of organisations. We are in the process of reviewing the report by CINEP and, if appropriate, will make a statement as necessary.
Asked by: Jim Sheridan (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is being offered to local authorities on making referrals to the National Referral Mechanism for victims of human trafficking; and how many local authorities have undertaken such training to date.
Answered by Karen Bradley
In 2013, three Non-Government Organisations were awarded total grant funding of approximately £75,000 by the Home Office to provide training
to a range of local professionals, including those working in local authorities. In January 2013 the Home Office also published guidance for
frontline staff on responding to victims of trafficking, which includes guidance on making referrals to the National Referral Mechanism.
Home Office funding of £420,000 is being provided to Barnardo’s to fund independent child advocacy service trials for a period of twelve months,
September 2014 to September 2015, in 23 local authorities.
The Review of the National Referral Mechanism has considered training and will make recommendations when it reports shortly.
Asked by: Jim Sheridan (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information is provided to trafficking victims on their rights to compensation; and how many victims of trafficking have had applications for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority rejected in each of the last three years.
Answered by Karen Bradley
Potential victims of trafficking are provided support and assistance by the Salvation Army during their recovery and reflection period, including advice on their rights to compensation. This includes providing the information leaflet developed specifically for victims of trafficking by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). The Modern Slavery Bill will also introduce reparation orders, specifically for victims of modern slavery crimes, recognising the particular harm and psychological abuse they suffer. This will ensure that where a convicted slave master has benefitted financially from the abuse of others they will be required to provide reparation to their victims.
With reference to the number of compensation applications rejected by CICA, the Government does not hold the information requested. Compensation for victims of violent crime is based on the injuries people sustain not the particular crimes of which they were a victim. The injuries for which CICA can compensate, and therefore provide reliable figures for, are set out in the Tariff of Injuries in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012, but the Tariff does not contain any injuries specific to human trafficking. The injuries are also only recorded once CICA have assessed someone as eligible to receive the compensation payable for that injury.
Asked by: Jim Sheridan (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many National Referral Mechanism decisions made by (a) the Human Trafficking Centre and (b) UK Visas and Immigration were subject to judicial review proceedings in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013; and how many such decisions were changed as a result of successful judicial review proceedings.
Answered by Karen Bradley
UK Visas and Immigration received 11 judicial review proceedings in 2012, and 7 in 2013. We have not validated how many decisions were changed as a result of successful judicial review proceedings, as the cost for finding out this information would be disproportionate.
Both UKHTC and UKVI apply the same civil standard of proof in making their decisions, but the types of cases dealt with by UKHTC and UKVI are very different. UKHTC often deals with EEA nationals encountered in their place of exploitation with substantial contemporary evidence to support their decision making. UKVI often deals with non-EEA nationals where the alleged trafficking and exploitation took place some time ago, sometimes in another country.
Asked by: Jim Sheridan (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to address the increase in male victims of trafficking; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The nature and scale of modern slavery is kept under constant review to ensure that our response to this terrible crime is strong, effective and flexible. Specialised support for male victims of trafficking is currently offered through the victim care contract run by The Salvation Army, in England and Wales. We continue to assess the needs of potential victims identified through the National Referral Mechanism to ensure that our support services meet the specific needs of individual victims to help them recover from their ordeal.
Asked by: Jim Sheridan (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to encourage other developed nations to support efforts to tackle the Ebola virus in West Africa.
Answered by Justine Greening
The British Government is playing a leading role in galvanising international support to tackle Ebola. The Defeating Ebola conference I co-hosted on 2 October generated over £100 million of support, and the Prime Minister’s call to European leaders secured a €1 billion commitment. We will continue to push international partners to do more.
Asked by: Jim Sheridan (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received about allegations of a reduction in protection afforded to (a) Senator Ivan Cepeda and (b) other opposition politicians and human rights and peace campaigners in Colombia.
Answered by Lord Swire
I have recently become aware of allegations of a reduction in protection afforded to Ivan Cepeda and other individuals in Colombia. I have also heard that budget restrictions are causing concern. My department are looking into these cases and will raise further if appropriate.