The government currently has no such plans, and I refer to my answer of 17 December 2014 to question HL3283 on this matter.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1091", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bates"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bates"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-01-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-15T14:56:29.847Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Prostitution"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 17 December 2014 (HL3283), what plans they have to introduce legislation to criminalise the purchase of sex.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Bishop of St Albans"} ], "uin" : "HL3908"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/172326", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/172326/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK is a world leader in tackling forced marriage. It is child abuse, domestic abuse and a form of violence against women and men and a serious abuse of human rights.<\/p>
The government does not hold data on the number of girls under the legal age of marriage who have been brought back to the UK. However, the government does hold information on the number of cases for which the forced marriage unit has provided advice and support. This information is in the table below. It is important to note that this statistic does not represent the number of forced marriage cases, but the number of calls and emails initiating contact with the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) about a victim or potential victim. Forced marriage cases are not necessarily reported to the FMU; through the unit\u2019s outreach work, social workers and the police are becoming more skilled at dealing with forced marriage cases and so may not need to involve the unit. Where a case is being appropriately dealt with there is no obligation to inform the FMU.<\/p>
To provide more information on the nature of the assistance provided in all these cases, including those which have involved repatriation, would involve a disproportionate cost.<\/p>
<\/p> Forced marriage unit statistics<\/strong><\/p> Year<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Number of cases in which the Forced Marriage Unit provided advice or support related to a possible forced marriage <\/strong><\/p> <\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2009<\/p><\/td> 1682<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010<\/p><\/td> 1735<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011<\/p><\/td> 1468<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012<\/p><\/td> 1485<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013<\/p><\/td> 1302<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/strong><\/p> 2014 figures are currently being compiled.<\/p><\/td> We are concerned about the case of Mr Mohammed Hegazy, who converted to Christianity in 1998. We raised Mr Hegazy\u2019s case at official level with the Egyptian Embassy in London on 7 January.<\/p> We deplore all discrimination against religious minorities and constraints on their freedom to practise their faith. The Government of Egypt has clearly stated its commitment to protecting the rights of minorities and of the need for religious tolerance, and the Egyptian constitution contains protection for freedom of religious belief. It is important that these rights are respected.<\/p> In September our Ambassador to Egypt called on the Patriarch of Alexandria, and officials from our embassy in Cairo recently met members of the Coptic Christian community to discuss the challenges they face.<\/p> The British Government will continue to raise concerns about such cases with the Egyptian authorities.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3474", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Anelay of St Johns"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-01-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-15T14:11:40.91Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Egypt"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what representations they have made to the government of Egypt on behalf of Mohammed Hegazy.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
], "uin" : "HL3910"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/170245", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/170245/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Sir Peter North looked at the possibility of altering drink driving limits and delivered his findings in a report in 2010. The Government provided a formal response to the report in March 2011. The Government\u2019s response acknowledged some of the proposed benefits of lowering the drink drive limit to 50mg, however, we concluded that the priority should be tougher enforcement.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1557", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Kramer"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Kramer"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-12-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-12-17T16:45:38.013Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-12-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Driving under Influence: Scotland"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what assessment they have made of the research on the basis of which the Scottish Government has decided to lower the legal blood-alcohol limit for driving from 80mg to 50mg in every 100ml of blood.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
], "uin" : "HL3741"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/170246", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/170246/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government currently has no plans to alter the drink drive limit. We currently have tough penalties to tackle drink driving and the Government believes increased enforcement is a more effective deterrent than a change in the law. We are removing the automatic right for drivers who fail a breathalyser test to demand a blood or urine test. High risk offenders are now also required to prove they are no longer alcohol-dependent before being allowed to drive.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1557", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Kramer"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Kramer"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-12-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-12-17T16:46:14.503Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-12-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Driving under Influence"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether they have any plans to lower the legal blood-alcohol limit for driving from 80mg to 50mg in every 100ml of blood.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
], "uin" : "HL3742"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/169068", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/169068/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Local authorities, with the help of other organisations as appropriate, have a duty to make enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 if they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. A belief that a girl may have been involved in an under-age marriage should lead to such an assessment.<\/p> Where a local authority encounters concerns about a child\u2019s welfare that constitute, or may constitute, an offence against a child, social workers should discuss the case with the police at the earliest opportunity. Offences may have been committed by the girl\u2019s parents, or by her \u2018husband\u2019. Legislation that came into force earlier in 2014 means that forced marriage is now a criminal offence.<\/p> Statutory guidance on multi-agency working to safeguard children from harm is contained in \u2018Working Together to Safeguard Children\u2019,[1] which the Government published in 2013 and updated in June 2014. Statutory guidance and multi-agency practice guidelines on forced marriage,[2] also updated in June 2014, provides information and advice for all relevant services, including schools, who are advised to make referrals to children\u2019s social care or the police if they have any concerns about a girl being affected by forced marriage.<\/p> |