Overseas Domestic Workers (Hansard, 21 October 1994)

§ Mrs. Roche
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the new screening procedures introduced in May 1991 for overseas domestic workers on the number of such workers who experience physical, psychological and sexual abuse.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
None. But we keep the general arrangements for the overseas domestic workers scheme under review.

§ Mrs. Roche
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to include in the notice to employers of domestic servants travelling to the United Kingdom a statement that it is a criminal offence to withhold another person's passport.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
We are considering the inclusion in the leaflet for domestic servants of further advice about passports.

§ Mrs. Roche
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were granted entry clearance at posts abroad to come in to the United Kingdom as overseas domestic workers under the 1980368W concession (a) between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1991 and (b) since 31 August 1993.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
The information requested is not available.

§ Mrs Roche
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department(a) has taken and (b) plans to take to monitor the screening procedures introduced in May 1991 for overseas domestic workers.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
We are currently reviewing those procedures in consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which is responsible for the entry clearance system abroad.

§ Mrs. Roche
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas domestic workers have initiated legal challenges against their former employers since 24 July 1990 on grounds of(a) sexual offences, (b) violent offences, (c) false imprisonment, (d) assault and battery, (e) intimidation, (f) breach of contract and (g) slavery; and how many employers in each category were found guilty.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
The information requested is not available as statistics of the results of court proceedings do not distinguish the occupation or nationality of victims or defendants.