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Representation of the People Acts

Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions on which the operation of the Representation of the People Acts has been found to be in breach of the European convention on human rights. [10768]

Mr. Sackville: The United Kingdom is currently challenging in the European Court of Human Rights a decision of the European Commission of Human Rights last year on an application brought by Mrs. Phyllis Bowman, executive director of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child, on the operation of section 75 of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

There are no other instances.

Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring forward amendments to the Representation of the People Acts in respect of material issued about a candidate without his or her permission following the recent ruling of the European Commission of human rights. [10769]

Mr. Sackville: There are no plans to do so at this time.

Firearms

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Office what plans he has to offer compensation to owners of handguns or other weapons who wish to surrender them to the authorities although not compelled by law to do so. [8159]

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 52

Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 18 December 1996]: We accept that the provisions in the Firearms (Amendment) Bill relating to gun clubs will make it difficult for some owners of .22 pistols to continue to shoot. We have therefore decided to make payments, on an ex gratia basis, to firearm certificate holders who choose to surrender such guns to the police. There are no such plans in relation to other weapons whose surrender will not be required.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Public Appointments

Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in respect of how many and which public appointments a nominee has been specifically and separately sought from the Government of the Irish Republic at Maryfield since 1 January 1990; and if he will make a statement. [5115]

Sir John Wheeler: The following list sets out the vacancies which were notified to the Irish Government separately from those notified in the six-monthly lists. The bodies covered by the six-monthly lists were set out in my reply to the hon. Gentleman of 6 November 1996, Official Report, columns 556-59. The following list represents the vacancies not foreseen when the six-monthly lists were drawn up, for example arising from the creation of new bodies and from resignations.

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 53

Vacancies notified to the Irish Government separately from those contained in the six-monthly lists (from 1 January 1990)
1990
NI Railways--1 vacancy
Independent Commission for Police Complaints--2 vacancies
Police Authority for NI--2 vacancies
Local Government Boundaries Commission--1 vacancy
Probation Board for NI--1 vacancy
NI Electricity--1 vacancy
1991
Equal Opportunities Commission--1 vacancy
Fair Employment Commission--1 vacancy
NI Electricity--4 vacancies
1992
Local Enterprise Development Unit--9 vacancies
Equal Opportunities Commission--1 vacancy
NI Tourist Board--1 vacancy
Industrial Research Technology Board--number of vacancies not stated
Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside--6 vacancies
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority--1 vacancy
Certification Officer for NI--1 vacancy
Planning Appeals Commission--1 vacancy
Health and Social Services Trusts--50 vacancies
Council for Catholic Maintained Schools--Education Committees--16 vacancies
Community Relations Council--3 vacancies
Local Government Staff Commission--2 vacancies
New Sports Council for NI--1 vacancy
NI Higher Education Council--8 vacancies
Planning Appeals Commission--1 vacancy
1993
Arts Council--2 vacancies
Fire Authority--3 vacancies
NI Economic Council--2 vacancies
Enterprise Ulster--1 vacancy
Driver and Vehicle Licensing NI--2 vacancies
Mental Health Commission--2 vacancies
NI Council for the Curriculum Examination and Assessment--1 vacancy
General Consumer Council for NI--14 vacancies
NI Regional Medical Physics--1 vacancy
Industrial Development Board--1 vacancy
Law Reform Advisory Committee--1 vacancy
Local Enterprise Development Unit--1 vacancy
Eastern Health and Social Services Board--1 vacancy
Sports Council for NI--1 vacancy
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority--1 vacancy
NI Citizens' Charter Advisory Panel--1 vacancy
Northern Health and Social Services Council--1 vacancy
Fair Employment Commission--1 vacancy
Board of Visitors: HM Prison Maghaberry--2 vacancies
1994
Southern Health and Social Services Council--2 vacancies
Health and Social Services Trusts--24 vacancies
Lay Observer--1 vacancy
Western Health and Social Services Council--3 vacancies
Laganside Corporation--1 vacancy
NI Economic Council--1 vacancy
Eastern Health and Social Services Board--3 vacancies

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 54

Eastern Health and Social Services Council--2 vacancies
The Senate of Queen's University, Belfast--1 vacancy
NI Blood Transfusion Services Agency--1 vacancy
Western Health and Social Services Board--1 vacancy
NI Higher Education Council--2 vacancies
Southern Health and Social Services Board--1 vacancy
Southern Eastern Education and Library Board--1 vacancy
Southern Education and Library Board--2 vacancies
Planning Appeals Commission--2 vacancies
1995
Health and Social Services Trusts--39 vacancies
Western Health and Social Services Board--1 vacancy
Northern Health and Social Services Council--1 vacancy
NI Housing Executive--3 vacancies
Down and Connor Diocesan Education Committee--1 vacancy
Southern Health and Social Services Board--1 vacancy
Belfast Education and Library Board--1 vacancy
Western Health and Social Services Council--3 vacancies
Southern Health and Social Services Council--2 vacancies
Northern Health and Social Services Council--2 vacancies
Eastern Health and Social Services Council--5 vacancies
South Eastern Education and Library Board--1 vacancy
Arts Council of NI--1 vacancy
Ulster Museum--1 vacancy
NI Guardian Ad Litem Agency--3 vacancies
NI Commission for Protection against Unlawful Industrial Action--1 vacancy
Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights--5 vacancies
Council for Catholic Maintained Schools--Armagh Diocesan
Education Committee--2 vacancies
Agricultural Wages Board--1 vacancy
Lay Observer--1 vacancy
NI Transport Holding Company--4 vacancies
General Consumer Council for NI--1 vacancy
Law Reform Advisory Committee--1 vacancy
The Senate of Queens University, Belfast--5 vacancies
NI Sports Council--15 vacancies
1996
Health and Social Services Trusts--4 vacancies
Southern Health and Social Services Council--1 vacancy
Western Health and Social Services Board--5 vacancies
NI Disability Council--11-20 vacancies
Local Government Staff Commission--1 vacancy
Labour Relations Agency--1 vacancy
Local Enterprise Development Unit--2 vacancies
Eastern Health and Social Services Council--2 vacancies
Eastern Health and Social Services Board--1 vacancy
Police Authority for NI--2 vacancies
Equal Opportunities Commission--1 vacancy
Southern Health and Social Services Council--2 vacancies
Central Services Agency--3 vacancies
Arts Council for NI--13 vacancies
Fair Employment Commission--2 vacancies
Northern Health and Social Services Council--1 vacancy
Planning Appeals Commission--2 vacancies

Industrial Development Board--1 vacancy

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 55

Punishment Shootings

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many so-called punishment shootings have taken place in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years and the current year to date; and how many were believed in each year to have been carried out by (1) the Provisional IRA,

(2) other Republican terrorists,

(3) the Ulster Defence Association,

(4) the Ulster Volunteer Force and

(5) other Loyalist organisations. [9220]

Sir John Wheeler: The number of casualties as a result of "punishment" shootings for the period 1 January 1991 to 11 December 1996 is as follows:

Year	By Loyalist groups	By Republican groups	Total
1991	40	36	76
1992	72	61	133
1993	60	25	85
1994	68	54	122
1995	3	0	3
1996(16)	19	3	22

(16) To 11 December.

It is not possible to specify which individual group carried out an offence.

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