Written Questions submitted by Lord Patten on ritualised prostitution and on education access for Dalits:

India

Questions

Asked by Lord Patten

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last discussed the numbers of Dalit girls allegedly caught in the Devadasi system with (a) the Government of India, and (b) British non-governmental organisations working with Dalit communities; and what were the estimates given by both sources. [HL5046]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): We have not raised the specific issue of the Devadasi system with the Government of India or British non-governmental organisations, and are therefore unable to give their estimates of the numbers involved.

However, through the EU-India human rights dialogue, we regularly raise the issues of women's rights and trafficking of children. We welcome the steps taken by the Indian Government and state governments to address the issue. We have also discussed Dalit and trafficking issues with British non-governmental organisations.

Through the EU we funded a project on the Education, Empowerment, Participation and Rehabilitation of Children vulnerable to or survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation, in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh from June 2006 to June 2010.

Asked by Lord Patten

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received assurances that the Government of India's Education for All scheme, which is supported by United Kingdom financial aid, operates without discrimination against Dalit school pupils.[HL5045]

Baroness Verma: The goal of the Government of India's Education for All scheme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), is to give all children eight years of good quality basic education. The number of Dalit children now enrolled in school is in proportion with their share of the overall population. However, there are significant economic and social challenges in ensuring that Dalit and other disadvantaged children remain in school. The Indian Government, state governments and the Department for International Development (DfID) are working together to support disadvantaged children to complete their education, including by improving classroom practices and involving the community. We are looking at specific help for Dalit children and hope to make a further announcement on this shortly.

Source: Lords Hansard 21 Dec 2010 Column WA297