Domestic Violence: Police Resources

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Monday 27th November 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

All circumstances are taken into account when someone is prosecuted. My noble friend is right about the cycle of abuse. Someone who is a victim of domestic violence will go on to have perhaps depression or other mental health problems, or drug or alcohol problems, which may lead to crimes being committed. Certainly within the justice system this cycle of abuse and crime needs to be unlocked.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, will the noble Baroness have discussions with her counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland so that we can learn from experience and exchange ideas in this United Kingdom? In that context, will she welcome the visit by the Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament to Westminster today?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I certainly welcome the visit of the Justice Committee. As to whether we have lessons to learn, I am sure that we have lessons to learn from each other in examples of good practice. However, I say to the noble Lord that I am proud to stand here, given what this Government have done over the past seven years to help victims of domestic violence.

FTSE Companies: Gender Balance

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

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

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

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

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

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

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

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

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

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

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

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.

Immigration

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 8th June 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Keen of Elie]

That is simply not the case. We control migration—economic migration and other migration—whether from Europe or elsewhere. In the context of the European Union, of course, there are rules and provisions; but in the context of outside Europe, there are also rules and provisions.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

Does the Minister agree that it would be a really great pity if the outcome of the vote on 23 June, which affects our lives in so many ways, particularly those of young people, were to be decided by a nasty, xenophobic campaign by some of the Brexiteers?

[Lord Keen of Elie]

To speak of immigration is not to be xenophobic.

Investor Visas: Money Laundering

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Monday 9th May 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, there are schools, hospitals, nationality and honours. Is it possible for people with enough money to buy anything from a Tory Government?

[Lord Keen of Elie]

The question, in my respectful submission, is not well aimed, and there is no question of persons being able to buy their way into the United Kingdom. There is a means by which they can invest in the United Kingdom, but they are subject to very clear checks, which have been improved since 2014.

Immigration: Harmondsworth

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Thursday 3rd March 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bates]

It is certainly the case that 92% have been there for less than four months, and the time is reducing. Of course, those who have been there for longer than four months—in fact, for longer than 28 days—are often people who are working very hard to avoid their removal. They are perfectly entitled to do so, but they are trying to frustrate the system. We have concerns about public safety. That is the reason why they are there and have not been granted bail.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Lord Scriven (LD)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con)]

Order. Why does not the noble Lord, Lord Foulkes, ask a question?

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

My Lords, we have gone through four Questions this morning. Has the Minister, like me, been thinking, “How long will it be before we can forgive the Liberal Democrats for not dealing with these problems when they were part of the coalition”?

[Lord Bates]

I am out of time.