Dame Meg Hillier
MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch · Labour (Co-op) · United Kingdom
“On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, I have huge respect for the Minister, but she has said that she will not take any interventions. She is a very good Minister, and I trust that she will answer in detail the points that have been raised in the House today; having discussions with her and the Government after the debate is too late…”
“My hon. Friend talks about who makes our laws, and she has talked in articles that she has written about the primacy of this place. If the Bill goes forward, is she willing to accept amendments?”
“I welcome my right hon. Friend to her place and thank her for that response, which demonstrates the complications of these schemes. I asked the National Audit Office to look into this, and yesterday the Public Accounts Committee published its report on compensation schemes, suggesting that a central body be established.”
“I am pleased by my right hon. Friend’s answer, but she is in a unique position across Government to ensure that we are protecting not only women, but those who are blind or have visual impairments, who really value this technology.”
“I welcome the Chancellor’s clampdown on speculation and leaks ahead of the Budget; it is certainly an important step he has taken. On the issue of certainty, the National Wealth Fund is a critical investor in crowding in private investment around the UK. I noted that he has changed the remit.”
“Further to the points made by my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Tom Hayes), it is important that we talk here and that we have diplomacy, but what practical actions are the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence taking to ensure that there is a review of physical defence and security, so that we send a clear message to t…”
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“It is not difficult to find. The annual report of the national centre for the three R’s, which has just been published, provides details of all its work, including grants given for research. If hon. Members are interested in following this up, the report is one way of finding out about money from the Government and the centre that has gone into research on alternatives. A great deal has been done to ensure that work is not duplicated, and I shall touch on that in a moment. The animals (scientific procedures) inspectorate is also going to publish its annual report, which explains the inspectorate’s role. The Home Office is in the middle regarding the animal welfare issues raised by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and by scientists.”
“Drew), who also spoke about it. Hon. Members raised the issue of transparency, and this is where I may have to disagree a bit with my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, North. The Government are keen that there should be as much transparency as possible about the use of animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, and I believe that we are making progress. I welcome the cross-party support for the Government’s aim of being as transparent as possible. Since 2005, we have published abstracts of project licences granted under the Act. The scheme is voluntary, but at present more than 80 per cent. of project applications provide an abstract, and 1,700 are posted on the Home Office website. That is important: the information is on a website, and anybody can look it up in their local library or wherever.”
“We believe that it should be used only if the benefits have been carefully weighed against the costs to the animals; if there is no other way to achieve the desired results—I shall say a bit about alternatives later; if the procedures will cause the least suffering and will use the minimum number of animals to achieve the outcome; and if high standards of animal welfare are applied. We believe that that approach reflects closely what the public want. I shall touch on many of the points that were raised by hon. Members. My hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, North spoke about the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research. It is a vital contributor to the work done to reduce the need for animal research. I welcome the support of my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr.”
“We believe that animal experiments continue to be necessary for the time being if improvements in health care are to be developed with the minimum of delay and if humankind and the environment are to be protected from other hazards. I shall not go into great detail about some of the medical benefits—we do not have time in this debate—but it is true that almost every form of conventional medical treatment has relied in part on the study of animals. Asthma treatments, medicines for peptic ulcers, schizophrenia and depression, the polio vaccine and kidney dialysis and transplants are just a few examples of how such work has led to benefits for humankind. It is clear from the tone of today’s debate that, although we all accept that animal experimentation is both effective and necessary, we do not relish it.”
“I also welcome the constructive support of Her Majesty’s Opposition. The hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) rightly highlighted the importance of the European approach to the matter. I will not go into that, as we debated it recently, on 3 February, but it is important that we are having this debate in the UK Parliament today. It sends out a signal to others in Europe that, although there are differences of view, there is cross-party consensus in the UK Parliament that we need to maintain high standards in this area and that we do not want them to be watered down by a European directive. I shall try to rattle through many of the detailed points that have been made, but it is worth stressing where the Government stand on the issue. In essence, our position is straightforward.”
“It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Taylor. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, North (Bill Etherington) on securing this debate, and I echo the comments of the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis). I agree completely that we need greater transparency, and I welcome the debate for that reason. I became the Home Office Minister responsible for this area of inspection in July 2007. This is the second time that I have had the chance to debate it in the past couple of weeks, but we do not discuss it enough. Also, we do not discuss the benefits of testing, as well as the important work that the Home Office does to hold the ring and regulate the work that is done to ensure that scientists work humanely and constructively.”
“As many people will know, identity cards are to be issued to airside workers at Manchester airport in the autumn. No decision has been taken on the next stage, which will be issuing cards to ordinary people or to young people in 2010, but as they will be issued at Manchester airport, Manchester is certainly a strong contender for the phase after airports.”
“There are already more police on the streets than there have been for some time, but perhaps I can give the hon. Gentleman a little lesson in how the cost of identity cards will work. There is not a big pot of money sitting and waiting to be spent on identity cards; there will be money to spend on them only if the general population choose to take them up. It is clear from my conversations with the public and other stakeholders that there is demand for identity cards.”
“I am slightly puzzled by the hon. Gentleman’s comments. We are looking to start with the airports scheme at Manchester airport and London City airport. We are still evaluating areas in which to start the general roll-out to the early adopters in the population and to young people from next year. We need to get going on identity cards. We have passed the Act, the scheme is under way and we are issuing cards to foreign nationals. I will be surprised if the hon. Gentleman and his party do not wish to see an upgrade in passports, which is really what identity cards will build on, or greater controls and greater security in passports and identity documents in general.”
“Both my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and I have met trade unions a number of times. Most recently, my right hon. Friend met the trade unions from the airport on 29 January, on her visit to Manchester, and they were very supportive of the scheme. We are working closely with all the partners in the airports to ensure that the scheme delivers real benefits to airport workers, including on such matters as the portability of passes, to prevent very high costs and challenging circumstances for staff who often have to wait a long time for their security clearance before they are paid. Identity cards will speed that up, and we look forward very much to working with airports to ensure that the scheme works and that we learn lessons for the further roll-outs.”
“We have also established the UK Human Trafficking Centre, as hon. Members have mentioned. It is a multi-agency organisation, and that fact is worth stressing. Although it is a centre—the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington asked whether I agreed with the description of it as a single centre—it is important to recognise its multi-agency nature. It is a central point of co-ordination for intelligence, analysis and operational activities. In addition, it works closely with law enforcement agencies throughout the country, with the Government and with non-governmental organisations.”
“Although the headline figure on trafficking for illegal working is only four, many more have been convicted for related offences, including rape, kidnapping and facilitation. I am keen to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Campbell), to write to hon. Members with more detailed figures. It is important that we do not run away with the idea that no action is being taken on illegal working—action does not always come under that heading. It is important that we recognise there is more than one way to skin a cat. We have to get these bad people out of the system, and if we can do it by other and more effective means, that is fine by me. We do not need to dance on a pin head about which particular type of conviction we bring as long as these people are caught.”
“We continue to bear down on traffickers and to offer help and support to their victims. The convention will help us in both those areas. Last July, the Home Secretary announced the results of Operation Pentameter 2, the largest UK-wide police operation against trafficking for sexual exploitation. It succeeded in recovering 167 victims of trafficking and made 528 arrests. Hon. Members, particularly my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore), raised the issue of scale. By its nature, that is difficult to quantify. We need to keep investigating and catching people. In response to the hon. Members for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake) and for Ashford, who asked about the numbers of people convicted, I can say that so far 94 sex traffickers have been convicted.”
“Clearly, human trafficking is an important crime. It is important that we create an environment hostile to it in the UK, identify victims and take action as appropriate. We unveiled an action plan in March 2007, as hon. Members will be aware, and updated it in July last year. Ratification of the Council of Europe convention is the first of 85 specific actions laid out in the plan. Hon. Members raised the issue of time scales and delay. We have to get 85 specific actions right. We have got to make it work. I am sure that hon. Members will agree that making it work is what is important. I am impatient, as we all are, to ensure that proper action is taken. It is no good rushing headlong into something unless we make it work properly. We are making good progress. I thank hon. Members across the party divides for their support.”
“We are already preparing one case for prosecution involving a child identified by the new biometric system for visas and foreign national identity cards. I am sure that that is one reason why the Conservative party will eventually come around to the idea that identity cards help on a range of issues, including this one. I congratulate the hon. Member for Totnes, who raised a number of important points. As it is his debate, I will do my best to focus on answering as many of those points as I can. I apologise in advance to any hon. Members whose questions I do not answer. I will write to them if I cannot reach their questions. This is an opportunity for me to set out what work the Government have done on the issue. The implementation of the Council of Europe convention plays a crucial role in our overall strategy.”
“That is not the same as saying that Britain is not doing enough, but we know how good stories for journalists can emerge from such comments. The French Minister was there to reassure Calais residents. He has since spoken to the Minister for Borders and Immigration, my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas), to make it clear that he was not criticising the UK. My hon. Friend will continue, as will the Home Secretary and I, to work with the French Government to ensure that we maintain controls at Calais. The hon. Member for Ashford raised the issue of trafficking in general. I will touch on local strategies and local issues, which were raised by the hon. Member for Totnes. I was interested by the comments about children and how to identify them at the border. Clearly, biometrics help.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Olner. I echo the comments made by the hon. Member for Ashford (Damian Green) about the role of the hon. Member for Totnes (Mr. Steen) and his all-party group. I will rattle through because, as the hon. Member for Ashford rightly said, I have an awful lot of questions to answer. I am always keen to take interventions but, given the time, I will try to get through those questions if I can. The hon. Member for Ashford dangled something in front of me about the French Minister’s recent comments. It is important to make it clear for the record what happened with our French counterpart. He did not say that Britain was not doing enough. He was visiting Calais to talk to residents there about immigration issues. He said that we, meaning France and Britain, need to do more.”
“I was interested to hear the comments of the hon. Members for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) and for Totnes about how well, or otherwise, it is working in their areas. I will highlight the issue to the Minister for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Policing, my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Coaker), to ensure that the project is working as effectively as it should.”
“That sounds like a sensible suggestion. I shall make sure that I clarify the position with the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth, and get him to write to my hon. Friend to confirm whether that is the case. In addition, we have already invested £5.8 million in the POPPY project over the past six years to provide high-level specialist support for victims trafficked for sexual exploitation. That includes safe accommodation, advocacy and access to counselling, legal advice and interpreting services. This year we are giving £1.3 million to that project. I must slay the myth that the POPPY project is London-focused. It is based in London, but much of its work, which we are funding, is to capacity build outside London. It started during Operation Pentameter 2 and continues.”
“The UK Border Agency is a separate but linked competent authority. The link with immigration is important, because trafficking is often raised during an asylum claim. It would be foolish to decouple the two issues. Immigration is not always an issue, but that is a sensible approach, and in my work on immigration, the issue often arises.”
“It is important that we set off with a body that can do the job well and effectively, but, once things have been going for a while, we can always look at how it is working. If hon. Members have issues and concerns, we will be keen to review the situation, and we will study the work of the all-party group and others. However, it is important that we start as we mean to go on, with an organisation that can do the job effectively, identify victims and provide support. Several organisations can refer to it. If the police find someone, they can work with a local non-governmental organisation, and that body can refer to the UK centre. It is important that we get that right. The competent authority will be based at the Human Trafficking Centre, and that will be the key, central point of contact.”
“That applies to all victims of all ages—children as well as those over the age of 18. I hope that that addresses some of the points made by the hon. Member for Totnes about co-ordination and access for local forces and services. We will be making announcements in the near future about how that will work. We are working out the full details, but we will work collaboratively with all key external organisations, including non-governmental ones, whose expertise, as the hon. Gentleman said, has proved invaluable throughout, whether on the action plan, Pentameter or the convention. We have made an announcement on the competent authority function. There has been some concern about having a single competent authority, but we are considering something that is multi-agency and we are working closely with other partners.”
“The answer is that it depends on individual circumstances, and that is why we need to rely on the expertise of the UK Human Trafficking Centre. I am happy to write to him with more detail on how such decisions would be made, or to get the UKHTC to do so. We also offer one-year temporary residence permits in certain circumstances. Both measures go further than the minimum standards outlined in the convention, which are for 30 days and six months. We have therefore already set the bar higher, and I hope that European colleagues will learn from that. We are also setting up a national referral mechanism. It will be a nationwide system that will enable the proper and consistent identification of victims to ensure that they receive the necessary care and support.”
“I will ensure that the hon. Gentleman receives an answer to his letter very soon. We are still considering the matter, but the POPPY project has been given Government money and work has been done to regionalise that. Not all NGOs want to be so closely associated with the Government that their core funding comes from the Government, so it is clearly a matter for discussion. We are still considering the matter and I will ensure that the hon. Gentleman gets a letter fairly soon. As part of our efforts to ratify and implement the convention, we have made some significant decisions, including the granting to victims of the 45-day reflection period, but longer if necessary. I think it was the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington who asked how we would decide whether it should be longer.”
“We are applying the rules of the convention. It would not be our intention to deport anyone who was identified as a victim, but I can obtain further clarification, if necessary. I think it is clear, however, that if somebody is identified as a victim, we would not intend to deport them. Many victims choose to return voluntarily, and we have assisted voluntary packages to help those young women—they are mostly young women—to return to their families, which is actually where they want to go. It is important to differentiate between deportation and removal, and voluntary removal is often beneficial for the victim. I shall try to rattle through the many questions that were raised.”
“I hope also that I have reassured the hon. Member for Totnes, in particular, and other hon. Members that the Government are taking the necessary steps to tackle the issues that he has raised. We are not complacent about the issue, and nor should we be.”
“I am sure that his all-party group will be keen to analyse that. I have covered the fact that we provide a residence permit. The hon. Gentleman also discussed the proceeds of trafficking and the Pentameter 2 results. The policy is that 50 per cent. of asset recovery goes to the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, and that is important for ensuring proactive enforcement. The CPS can, however, ask for a compensation order, so that the victim receives some money from the offender. We do cover some of the issues that the hon. Gentleman has raised, if not all of them. It is important that we recognise that the convention is part of an ongoing process. It is a continuous exercise. From 1 April, I will see two interesting deliveries: first, the next stage of the process and, secondly, the happy result, I hope, of my pregnancy.”
“I am afraid that I shall not give way, because I have only two minutes to answer several questions. I cannot comment on the individual case that was mentioned, but I commend the work of Devon and Cornwall police and hope that the measures we are introducing mean that there will be easier routes in. Front-line police, UK Border Agency staff and all new staff in police forces are being given training that will raise awareness. Other training packages are in place, and I shall happily write to the hon. Gentleman with details about them. The hon. Gentleman raised the issue of support for returning a victim home. I have mentioned the EU returns programme, and we are drafting amendments to extend voluntary return for EU trafficking victims as part of the immigration Bill that will be introduced after the Easter recess.”
“As I have highlighted, there are technical and space issues that we need to resolve, but where there is a will, there is a way, and we need to find a viable option.”
“We are considering how best to meet the expectations of people in Wales. I welcome the suggestion of liaison with local authorities. Across the UK as a whole, I and the Home Office generally will be doing more of that to discuss the roll-out of identity cards. However, we are not able to introduce Welsh on the initial identity cards, as I have explained. We are considering options for doing so when we move to the introduction of the second generation card in line with the upgraded passports. We have to tackle the issue sensibly and I appreciate the suggestions that we do that practically. We are looking to issue cards in a process that is along the lines of the current process for driving licences, whereby anyone with a Welsh postcode is issued with a card with headings in Welsh as well as English.”
“On that part of the passport, no Welsh language appears; the Welsh language on passports appears in the explanatory notes. Under EU rules, we have to have two full European languages on them. Welsh is now considered a minority European language. It is not one that would qualify to appear in place of the French that we choose to put on the British passport and the language that we will put on identity cards. Another challenge is the length of words in the Welsh language. We would have difficulty in fitting the same words on to a very small identity card. However, I can reassure my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn and other hon. Members that we are sensitive to these issues. The Identity and Passport Service is in regular contact with the Welsh Language Board and the Welsh Assembly Government.”
“If they would like to promote this interest in an area of that nation, we would be keen to discuss that with them. I have always maintained that it makes sense to implement identity cards incrementally, not in a one big bang approach. However, from 2012, the cards will be issued on a voluntary basis—it is not a compulsory scheme—to British citizens in all parts of the United Kingdom. That will be alongside the issue of 5 million to 6 million British passports every year. We currently have Welsh language on passports, but it is worth stressing the difference between a passport and an identity card. If hon. Members look at their passports, what is on the page with their photograph is broadly what will be on an identity card, but it is twice the size of an identity card.”
“At that point, we will also issue the first identity cards for British citizens to a limited number of volunteers who will have pre-registered their interest, which will happen in certain areas of the country. The precise locations of those people and of the young people who will get the cards from next year have yet to be identified. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary was in Manchester last week, and local authorities and other key partners there have expressed some interest in it becoming one of the first areas of the country to have the cards for young people, but no final decisions have been made. The discussions on cities and regions to start issuing identity cards to young people have focused so far on cities and regions in England and not yet Wales. However, as I said, I am keen to talk to hon. Members.”
“We are bound, quite rightly, by certain European rules on how we can frame the card. In order for the cards to be useful, it is important that they are recognisable across the whole of Europe. As I have said, the first British citizens to receive identity cards will be those who are working in airports. The first airports that we are working with are Manchester and London City, and we do not have any immediate plans to issue identity cards to airside workers at airports in Wales. However, if any hon. Member wishes to raise with me the issue of an airport in Wales engaging in that part of the scheme, we would be very keen to talk to them. It may be a little late, at this point, for Welsh airports to participate in that first wave, but we are incrementally rolling out identity cards and we expect that they will go to Wales in due course.”
“Member for Ceredigion (Mark Williams), to explain how that will work and why young people in Wales are probably unlikely to be affected at that point. From then on, everyone will have the opportunity to get either a passport, an identity card, or both. I must stress why the national identity card scheme is important. It is important that we have strong safeguards to protect our identity and to protect us from those who would hurt us, our families and our communities. The identity card scheme is one way that we can help to do that across the piece. The cards that are being issued to foreign nationals may go to some people who currently live in Wales. However, as those cards are only issued to foreign nationals and must meet a common standard throughout the United Kingdom, they do not include the Welsh language.”
“I will go into that timetable a little more later. However, I just want to explain the timetable that has applied so far. As my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn has said, ID cards are here. The Act creating them was passed in 2005, it became law in 2006 and at the end of last year we began introducing cards for foreign nationals; 25 November 2008 was when the scheme went live. From the end of this year, airport workers in Manchester and London City airports will receive the first identity cards for British citizens, along with a few volunteers who are keen to take up the cards early. From next year, young people in certain parts of the country will be issued with cards. I will go into that in a little more detail shortly, for the benefit of the hon.”
“What has been interesting is that a lot of English-speaking Welsh MPs who represent English-speaking parts of Wales have also come up to me and made a point of stressing their support for that measure. I am always keen to talk to all hon. Members who represent Welsh constituencies about their concerns and about other issues relating to that subject. I am very supportive in principle, as my hon. Friends are aware, of doing what we can to provide an option of having Welsh language on identity cards. We still have to determine exactly how that can be done—it is not as straightforward as it may seem, as I will go on to explain—but I can give a commitment that we will make a final decision well in advance of the high-volume roll-out of identity cards that will start in Wales, as in the rest of the United Kingdom, in 2011 or 2012.”
“It is important that identity cards are introduced in a way that ensures that they are as convenient to use as possible for members of the public across the United Kingdom and that the individual’s identity is reflected as well as it can be. The Government recognise that, in Wales, the Welsh language is an important part of the identity of people who live in that nation, particularly those who have a Welsh linguistic and cultural heritage. As my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn (Albert Owen) has suggested, I have had conversations with a number of colleagues in Parliament about the issue, particularly with my hon. Friend himself and my hon. Friends the Members for Llanelli and for Conwy (Mrs. Williams), who have been very vocal on the issue.”
“It is a pleasure, as ever, to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Hancock. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Llanelli (Nia Griffith) for securing this debate on the important issue of the inclusion of Welsh text on UK identity cards. It is fitting that we are having the debate today after what was a historic day yesterday in the history of the Welsh language, with the introduction of the Welsh language LCO by the Welsh Assembly. As hon. Members have eloquently described it, we are on a mission and a journey for the Welsh language, whether or not we are Welsh ourselves. As a UK Minister, I regard it as being very much part of my responsibilities to represent the whole of the UK and to be sensitive to the issues that matter in different nations and regions of the UK.”
“Members—on the record, not just in conversations with colleagues separately—that we take this matter very seriously. We are considering how best to meet the expectations of people in Wales and to ensure that their identity is properly reflected on a UK identity card when the cards are introduced in high volumes, including to people living in Wales, from 2012.”
“It is no good having Welsh on them if that makes them less functional, so we have to get that balance right, but I do not think that means that we will not have Welsh; it just means that we have to answer those questions. To avoid confusion, I should stress that when we talk about headings, we are talking about name, date of birth and so on. If someone has a Welsh name, that will obviously be on the card. I look forward to contributions from hon. Members to the consultation that is under way and that ends at the end of next week on secondary legislation for identity cards. I urge them not only to contribute themselves, but to urge organisations in their constituencies to do so. I am happy to provide information outside this debate. I hope that today I have reassured hon.”
“I am certainly happy to do that if we can get it in fairly quickly, but I know that officials are already having discussions. In fact, the issue was first raised with me when I was at a roadshow in Cardiff about what identity cards would mean. People there were very concerned, and since then hon. Members have raised the subject with me persistently. We need to ensure that we do not underestimate the practical difficulties but, as I said, where there is a will, there is a way, and we need to find that. However, we do need to meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation standards and the EU standards. The cards need to be useful.”
“My hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr. Sharma) raised the issue of increasing the Southall Black Sisters’ funding. The Home Office has recently provided £20,000 in order to strengthen its performance management arrangements, so that it can provide national data on black and ethnic minority victims of domestic violence. The Home Office continues to work with the Black Sisters on a step-by-step basis to provide advice on domestic violence. We recognise the benefits.”
“A rise from £61.6 million in 2006-07 to £64.5 million in 2008 delivered increased capacity for this vulnerable group—from 8,660 units of support in 2006-07 to 9,520 in 2007-08. The proportion of black and ethnic minority women who accessed housing-related support has increased from 26.8 per cent. in 2003-04 to 28.9 per cent. in 2007. One might say that that is a modest increase, but I think that is good progress in a year. We need to make sure that all those who need the services are accessing them. Last year, more than 6,000 women were successfully supported to achieve greater control, choice and involvement in their community. A number of them were also supported with their mental health problems. The Nia project and the Southall Black Sisters are two examples of groups that do valuable work in this area, and there are countless others.”
“Local authorities rather than central Government determine how they focus that funding, based on the needs and priorities they have identified in their five-year strategies. I visited the Nia project in my constituency last week and I know that it is effectively using a lot of that “Supporting People” money. I am not unaware of some of the challenges that that particular funding stream presents, but I think it is right that it is done at the local level. We have evidence from local authorities concerning their investment of “Supporting People” funding in domestic violence cases: the evidence is positive. Local authorities are spending more of their funding on domestic violence services.”
“Some of the groups dealing with domestic violence issues, particularly in these communities, are quite small, and it is not always easy necessarily to get it right from Whitehall. This drive to the local level has been important across government and across a number of Departments that deal with these issues. It is important to carry on with that, but as I said, we are always keen to learn more about how the excluded groups that my hon. Friend has highlighted are accessing services. We continue to talk with her, the all-party group and other groups involved about how that can be done more effectively. One supporting strand of funding is through the “Supporting People” programme, which was launched in 2003. The aim is to create a coherent funding and policy context for the provision of housing-related support to the most vulnerable.”
“Friend mentioned Southall Black Sisters, and there are others that have also worked with those suffering domestic violence in the black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Over the last couple of years, we have been working to ensure that our centrally driven initiatives also join up at regional and local level. We may have to agree to differ at this point, although we are always keen in government to listen to how things are working on the ground. I do not believe that we can fix everything through Whitehall central funding and it has been a drive in government to devolve funding down to a local level so that decisions about funding particular services are made at that local level. It should be more responsive because the groups are dealt with much more directly.”
“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble) for raising this subject, and for her eloquent and well-researched speech. She has a strong track record on this issue, as she has demonstrated today. I welcome this opportunity to set out how the Government are responding to some of the issues that she has raised. I will not repeat all the statistics that she highlighted. Suffice it to say that we all know that domestic violence is a devastating crime that impacts on all our communities, and it is important that we address all the points that she has made. Organisations that deal with domestic violence have played a critical role, and we owe them a significant debt of gratitude. My hon.”
“I encourage all organisations and communities to participate. I hope that between us my hon. Friend and I, along with other hon. Members—although none is present now—can encourage all Members to urge their local organisations to contribute. It is important for contributions to be made throughout the United Kingdom. I should be happy to work with the all-party group on domestic violence in helping to disseminate information about the consultation, and to ensure that proper contributions are made to inform the development of the strategy so that we can tackle the issues raised by my hon. Friend. Question put and agreed to.”
“At each step, we are trying to monitor the way in which all services meet the needs of some of the groups mentioned by my hon. Friend. The Government have been working with voluntary organisations, particularly through the DCLG, to develop a step-by-step guide for women in black and minority ethnic communities who are victims. Unfortunately it too has been delayed, but we hope to publish it in the spring. The Government are engaged in the issue with a variety of stakeholders. I know that my hon. Friend and other hon. Members have contributed. On Tuesday 3 February, there will be a meeting of stakeholders with experience in this area. We know there is still more for us to do. The Home Secretary has already announced that there will be a public consultation on a “violence against women” strategy.”