FTSE Companies: Gender Balance

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Wednesday 8th March 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I certainly concur with the noble Baroness that women’s representation on sporting boards is woeful. In fact, I had a very interesting conversation with the noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, about the generally male attitude in sport. What I said to my noble friend absolutely applies to sport: women on boards enhance the professions and sports that they represent, rather than the other way round.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, without taking attention in any way from the lack of representation of women on boards, will the Minister agree to take up the lack of representation of black and ethnic minority people on boards? It really is a scandal.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

The noble Lord raises a very good point. In fact, my noble friend—I cannot remember her name; I can see her—Lady McGregor-Smith has done extensive work on this. On the back of that, the Government are setting up a Business Diversity and Inclusion Group chaired by the Business Minister, Margot James. It will bring together business leaders and organisations to co-ordinate action to remove barriers in the workplace and monitor employers’ progress. The noble Lord is absolutely right.

Religious Literacy

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Thursday 9th February 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I missed a little of the noble Lord’s question, but I think I have enough to go on. He said that the hate crime action plan did not specifically refer to non-Abrahamic faiths, but the tenets of the action plan cover points on hatred on the basis of religious belief, disability, sexuality and so on. It is therefore implicit within it that, for example, Sikh communities are included. As for the understanding of religious literacy within both government and wider society, both the Home Office and DCLG engage widely and often with faith communities. Shortly after the referendum, I myself met people from different faiths, including Sikhs, in Manchester to discuss religious literacy, the outcome of the referendum and the corresponding hate crime attached to it.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, will the Minister confirm that there has been no violence and no torture, and no wars have been waged, in the cause of humanism?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I do not think I can accurately answer that without looking at my history books.

Stalking and Domestic Violence

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Thursday 24th November 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I will have to get back to the noble Baroness on the exact numbers, but that system is still in place. That has not changed.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, if I was in the Minister’s position answering Questions and the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, had raised his question in the way he did, I would say, “I’ll take that back to my colleagues and have a look at it”. Why does she not do that?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I most certainly will.

Crime: Illegal Arms

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Monday 21st November 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I can tell my noble friend that “unreal” firearms include fake weapons and parts of firearms. BB guns, for example, are imitation guns, while others included in this group are bits of guns and other weapons like stun guns and pepper spray.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, does the Minister think that there is anything our 40 admirals could do to help with this problem?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I think that 40 admirals would come in very handy.

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Tuesday 13th September 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Laming, for the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié which he undertook so skilfully. The terms of reference have been agreed by the Home Secretary and the chairman, and have the support of the victims’ and survivors’ group.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Faulks, is absolutely right. What are the Government going to do to take account of that?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, in reference to what my noble friend said, the chairman has undertaken to conduct the inquiry with pace and clarity. Making regular reports does keep Parliament updated on progress.

Student Visas: Pilot Study

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Wednesday 7th September 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

There are always lessons to be learned from situations such as this, and I give the noble Baroness every assurance that investigators are trained properly.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

I support my noble friend Lord McConnell in what he said earlier. This is exactly the kind of decision where a United Kingdom government department will help towards the break-up of the United Kingdom, and it is an absolute disgrace.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I am not sure that there is a question in there, but I will answer by saying that I disagree with the noble Lord.

Local Government Finance Settlement: Transition Grant

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Wednesday 16th March 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, it is up to local areas to determine what they raise in council tax and how that relates to business rate retention. Clearly, there will be some sort of smoothing of that process because we would not want areas to be totally disbenefited by the new system. But generally, councils in the last few years have been extremely responsible in setting their council tax rates, and we expect them to go on being so.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

Is the Minister aware that there is a Government in the United Kingdom who have cut back grants to local government even more than the Conservative Government in the United Kingdom? The SNP Government in Scotland have cut back grants significantly more, resulting in cuts in major, vital services to elderly, disabled and young people in Scotland. Can the Minister advise the House what we can do to scotch—excuse the expression—the myth that the SNP Government are in any way radical and redistributive? They are even more right-wing than this Conservative Government.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

Well, that is news to me, my Lords—but they will answer at the ballot box.

Fire and Rescue Service: Thomas Review

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Monday 11th January 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, as I said, the Government will be deliberating on the report. The themes of the review are already in the public domain and we will respond in due course. I echo the noble Lord’s words about the bravery of our fire and rescue services, and in fact all the emergency services, over the Christmas period. Certainly in the areas that I visited following the flooding, their services have been absolutely exemplary.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

I am surprised that no Conservative Members are standing up to say what a wonderful job the fire and rescue services did. While we were all sitting at home eating our Christmas dinner or drinking our new-year drink, they were out in the flooded areas in the north of England. I am afraid that most of the Members opposite who come from the south-east of England do not realise the problems that the north of England and Scotland faced. What discussions has the Minister had with her counterpart in Scotland to find out the ways in which the Scottish fire and rescue services have also been doing a very good job?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I have visited Bury, Salford and Rochdale over the Christmas period so it is unfair to say that noble Lords on these Benches have not shown an interest— and I am from Trafford. In addition—by sheer good fortune I was in the west of Scotland last week and missed the east coast flooding—I know that communities, local authorities and faith ministries have all pulled together just as they have in England. The community response has been humbling and I commend everyone who has played their part in the clean-up operation.