12 October 2009 Political Affairs Brief A daily summary of political events affecting the Jewish Community Scottish Council of Jewish Communities SCoJeC Contents Home Affairs Relevant Legislation Community Relations Consultations Israel Home Affairs Home Office Vetting and barring scheme introduced ...New entrants and volunteers working with vulnerable groups will need to start to apply to become ISA registered from July 2010. The following increased safeguards will be introduced from today, further enhancing protection of children and vulnerable adults: • the existing criminal offence for barred individuals who apply to work with children or vulnerable adults will be extended to a wider range of posts. Employers also face criminal sanctions for knowingly employing a barred individual across a wider range of work • the three current barring lists (POVA, POCA and List 99) will be replaced by the creation of two new barred lists administered by the ISA rather than several government departments. From now on checks of these two lists can be made as part of an enhanced CRB check • additional jobs and voluntary positions will be covered by the barring arrangements, including moderators of children’s internet chat rooms and a large number of NHS and prison service staff • employers, social services and professional regulators have a duty to refer to the ISA any information such as why they stopped or considered stopping an individual from working with vulnerable groups where they consider them to have caused harm or posed a risk. … To read the full press release see http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/press-releases/improved-safeguarding Farm Animal Welfare Council Farm Animal Welfare in Great Britain: Past, Present and Future http://www.fawc.org.uk/pdf/ppf-report091012.pdf TOP 1 Community Relations Department for Children, Schools and Families Race equality awards to be promoted across the country (England only) Ed Balls … announced plans to promote the Stephen Lawrence Education Awards to all local authorities across the country. The awards, which are supported by Stephen Lawrence’s mother Doreen, help schools to promote race equality by formally recognising and ‘kitemarking’ good practice in schools. … The Stephen Lawrence Standard was developed in partnership between Education Leeds, Leeds City Council and Black and minority community representatives, in response to the tragic murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 and the publication of the MacPherson Inquiry Report into Stephen’s death in 1999. Two-thirds of schools in Leeds are already taking part in the initiative and Ed Balls now aims to promote this and similar initiatives to all local authorities across the country. To read the full press release see http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0179 TOP Israel European Parliament Sakharov Prize 2009 finalists chosen Palestinian gynaecologist Izzeldin Abuelaish, Swedish-Eritrean journalist and political prisoner Dawit Isaak and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, Oleg Orlov and Sergei Kovalev on behalf of Memorial and all other human rights defenders in Russia are the three finalists for this year's Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, the European Parliament's award for human rights and democracy campaigners. The winner will be chosen 22 October. … Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish – A Palestinian obstetrician in Gaza who treats Israelis and Palestinians. In January 2009, during an Israeli raid on Gaza, a shell hit his appartment killing his three daughters. In memory of his daughters, Dr Abuelaish plans to set up an international foundation to help improve education for women and girls in Gaza and throughout the world. In spite of this personal family tragedy, Doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish continues to fight for peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples and to build bridges between the two war-torn, violence-ridden communities. … To read the full press release see http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/015-61767-292-10-43-902- 20091002STO61734-2009-19-10-2009/default_en.htm Council of Europe Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, calls for restraint in East Jerusalem Javier SOLANA … issued the following statement today …: "I am very concerned about the recent clashes in East Jerusalem. I have been closely following the situation around the Al Aqsa mosque in recent days. I would like to urge all parties to refrain from provocative actions that could further inflame tensions or lead to violence. Everyone must take action to avoid escalation. Our continued priority remains the re-launching credible negotiations in an atmosphere conducive to their success." http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/declarations/11044 8.pdf 2 United Nations Food enters Gaza through crossings while fuel pipeline remains shut down … Yesterday, 69 trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, more than half of which were carrying fruit, sugar, dairy products and frozen wheat. On Monday, 80 trucks passed through the crossing, with two carrying industrial diesel for Gaza’s power plant. Also yesterday, more than 4,000 tons of wheat and animal feed made it through the Karni crossing, which was closed on Monday. … “The deterioration and breakdown of water and sanitation facilities in Gaza is compounding an already severe and protracted denial of human dignity in the Gaza Strip,” Maxwell Gaylard said in a joint statement issued with the NGO Association for International Development Agencies (AIDA). … Currently, some 10,000 people do not have access to the water network, while another 60 per cent of Gaza’s population of 1.5 million do not have continuous access to water. In addition, some 50 to 80 million litres of untreated and partially treated waste-water have been discharged daily into the Mediterranean Sea since January 2008, due to damage to sewage treatment facilities, lack of treatment capacity because of postponed plant upgrade projects, and a critical shortage of fuel and electricity necessary to operate them. To read the full press release see http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32452&Cr=gaza&Cr1 = TOP Relevant Legislation ** New or updated UK Parliament Coroners and Justice Bill http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/coronersandjustice.html Equality Bill http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/equality.html Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Bill http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/holocauststolenartrestitution.html Organ Donation (Presumed Consent) Bill http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/organdonationpresumedconsent.html ** Policing and Crime Bill http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/policingandcrime.html amendment paper http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldbills/048/amend/ml048-ivr.htm TOP 3 Consultations ** new or updated Earning the right to stay: A new points test for citizenship (closes 26 October) http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/consultations/221878 /earning-the-right-to-stay/earning-the-right-to-stay/earned-citizenship- consultation?view=Binary Charging for immigration and visa applications (closes 1 December 2009) http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/consultations/221878 /charging09/ Consolidation of Charity Law (closes 4 December 2009) http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/090910_charityconsolida tionconsultation.aspx TOP The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) is Scottish Charity SCO29438 4 .