House of Lords
Tuesday, 10th February 2004.
The House met at half-past two of the clock: The CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES on the Woolsack.
Prayers—Read by the Lord Bishop of Worcester.
Northern Ireland: Racist Attacks
Lord Chan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their response to recent reports of racist attacks against black and other ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland.
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): My Lords, the Government have frequently put on record our abhorrence of all forms of intolerance. We have developed a co-ordinated response and will be publishing our race equality strategy for Northern Ireland this summer. Enforcement action by the Police Service of Northern Ireland will continue to be key. Today, the Government published legislative proposals to deal with what is often termed "hate crime". The Government are committed to eradicating all such manifestations of hatred, and to the creation of a safer and more tolerant Northern Ireland.
Lord Chan: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that helpful reply, but is she aware that there have been more racist attacks against the Chinese community in Belfast this January than in the entire 12 months of 2003? Further, is she concerned that racial attacks against Chinese businesses and families in England have increased since 2000, especially during the Chinese new year season of January and February?
Finally, will she confirm whether the Government will take steps to prevent any perverse racial attacks against the Chinese community as a result of the tragedy at Morecambe Bay, which indicates that it is about time that the Home Secretary's brave proposal of an amnesty for migrant workers who are here illegally was put in place?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord. I am aware of the increase in racial attacks against the Chinese community in Northern Ireland, about which we are very concerned. The noble Lord will be aware that the Chinese community makes up the bulk of the ethnic minority community in Northern Ireland. We have been in discussion with members of community organisations about the best way to tackle the problem.
With respect to the wider question and the tragic incident in Morecambe Bay, the noble Lord will be aware that we have a clear, three-pronged strategy. The first prong is to tackle asylum; the second is to ensure that we work to build community cohesion; and the third concerns managed migration.
Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, does the Minister agree that the lack of police activity in the Village area
of south Belfast has enabled loyalist terrorists to grow in strength there? It is not the first time that they have used their muscle: they have cleared students and Roman Catholics out of the area in the past. How many arrests have been made in recent weeks by the police dealing with those activities in the Village area?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, the situation in Northern Ireland is somewhat complex and, as I understand it, there may be a number of reasons why those attacks have increased. We have nationalist parties operating; we have protection rackets and people trafficking; and there is an allegation that some attacks are linked to the paramilitaries, although the noble Lord will be aware that the paramilitary organisations have made it absolutely clear that those attacks are unacceptable.
Policing is more visible and I understand that there have been three arrests, although I am not aware of what has happened about charging.
Lord Campbell of Alloway: My Lords, to put the matter in perspective, ought not a great tribute be paid to the police for the wonderful and difficult work that they have done in stopping Chinese terrorist gangs victimising their own countrymen in this country? They have done a fantastic job and, if we are to talk about the subject, there should be some balance to it.
Baroness Amos: My Lords, the Question concerns the situation in Northern Ireland, but on the noble Lord's point, of course the police are to be congratulated on the higher visibility policing that we have seen in areas where ethnic minority communities feel vulnerable. He will be aware of the announcement yesterday of a government initiative to tackle organised crime.
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, first, I declare an interest as a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Is the Minister aware that liaison officers have recently been appointed in each district to deal with ethnic matters? Is she further aware that the day after tomorrow, the Community Involvement Committee, of which I am a member, is gathering representatives of minority communities, especially the Chinese, and of the senior police responsible for community involvement to a meeting to help to sort out the problem?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I am aware of the appointment of ethnic minority liaison officers in each neighbourhood in Northern Ireland. I was not aware of the meeting, but I am pleased that it is going ahead and that the community, the police and the government agencies are coming together in this way.
Lord Laird: My Lords, as the Minister may recognise, I used to represent the Village area of Belfast. I am sure that the Minister will join me and every other right-thinking person in Northern Ireland to condemn these attacks without reservation, no matter who they are on, no matter what race or for
what reason. I am sure she will agree that we should ask all right-thinking people to report any information that they have to the police immediately, to make sure that this nonsense is stopped for once and for all.
Baroness Amos: My Lords, the noble Lord is right. Of course I agree that we want to see condemnation of these attacks and we want to see these attacks stop. That is why the work of the Police Service of Northern Ireland is so important. We also need to work together to build community cohesion.
The Lord Bishop of Southwell: My Lords, will the Minister encourage and facilitate both Christian and other faith community groups and their leaders to work more closely together to combat xenophobia? Will the Minister investigate the schools curriculum to find imaginative, new, creative ways in which to help to build social cohesion?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, of course I agree with the right reverend Prelate. We need to work across the faiths. I will discuss the issue of education with my colleagues, and I will make the right reverend Prelate's point to them.
Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville: My Lords, given the extent to which the paramilitaries have been able to exercise their will in particular parts of Belfast, do the police believe the paramilitaries when they say that they have no part in what has been going on?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, as I understand it, the police consider that a complex range of issues are coming together. In answer to another question, I said that not only were there issues with respect to people trafficking, but with nationalist parties from Great Britain that are seeking to organise in Northern Ireland, as well as allegations with respect to the paramilitaries. All of these issues are being investigated by the police.
Chlamydia Screening Programme
2.45 p.m.
Baroness Gardner of Parkes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the chlamydia screening programme will only cover a quarter of primary care trusts; and, if so, what significant impact they expect this screening to achieve.
Baroness Andrews: My Lords, the aim of the chlamydia screening programme is to implement, by 2008 at the latest, a national prevention and control programme in England. We have already achieved coverage of over a quarter of primary care trusts in just over two years. Early detection and treatment of chlamydia not only reduces the prevalence of lower
genital tract infections, but decreases the incidence of costly longer-term complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.
Baroness Gardner of Parkes: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. I am glad that the Government are doing something. Unfortunately, it is not enough. Is the Minister aware that in the six years before 2002, chlamydia infection increased by 141 per cent, and in the most recent year's figures it increased by 14 per cent? Does she agree that one of the real problems is that 70 per cent of women and 50 per cent of men with the infection are totally unaware that they have it, and are symptomless? It is for that reason in particular and in view of the young age of those mostly affected that screening is the only thing that works.
Baroness Andrews: Yes, my Lords, all the figures that the noble Baroness has given are absolutely right. They present a depressing story, particularly because so many young women and men do not know that they are at risk. We have followed the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV, which is one of the first in Europe, and we have emphasised the screening programme that was introduced last year following the pilot. We are now at phase two, and by the summer we will have reached phase three, by which time over 100 PCTs will be involved. We will be reaching a lot of people in opportunistic screening where real use can be made of the findings. We are putting a lot more money into screening: #40 million in the past two years and another #26.4 million following the Health Select Committee's report.
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