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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 11 February 1999
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998
Mr. Beith: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions he has given his consent for proceedings to take place under sections 5 to 7 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998; on how many occasions his powers under the Act have been revoked by order of the Secretary of State for the Home Department; and if he will make a statement. [70305]
The Attorney-General: I have so far received no requests for consent to prosecution as provided for by Section 4 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 as amended by Section 5(2) of the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998, or as provided for by Article 12 of the Criminal Attempts and Conspiracy (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 as amended by Section 6(2) of the 1998 Act. Section 7 of the 1998 Act relates to proceedings in Scotland and confers no powers on me.
The Secretary of State has so far made no order under Section 4(6) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 as added by Section 5(2) of the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998 or under Article 12(6) of the Criminal Attempts and Conspiracy (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 as added by Section 6(2) of the 1998 Act which would have the effect of disapplying the requirement of my consent in relation to cases of any description specified in the order.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Departmental Cash and Running Costs Limits
Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the cash and running costs limits for the Northern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland departmental services, the grants to voluntary bodies from social security, the Social Fund, certain national agricultural schemes and discretionary rent allowance payments for 1998-99. [71121]
Marjorie Mowlam:
Subject to Parliamentary Approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, it is proposed that the cash limit for Class XV Vote 1--the Northern Ireland Office--will be increased by £62,431,000 from £926,291,000 to £988,722,000. This reflects the take-up of end year flexibility on capital of £2,740,000 and departmental running costs of £5,000,000. Additional expenditure on compensation of £27,000,000 is also reflected in the increase, as is funding for the Prison
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Officers' redundancy scheme of £4,000,000 costs of £8,124,000 arising from the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, £4,724,000 to cover the costs of the Referendum and elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and £5,000,000 for Victims' Support. Other minor changes to the NIO Cash Limit total £5,843,000.
The cash limit which covers most Northern Ireland departmental services will be increased by £112,005,000 from £4,243,776 to £4,355,781,000. This increase reflects a rephasing of Student Loan Book sales of £38,500,000 and reclassification of Bus Fuel Duty Rebates of £7,209,000, the take-up of end year flexibility on capital of £14,645,500, departmental running costs of £30,000,000, European Structural Funds of £8,734,000, Health programme of £29,406,000 and Welfare to Work end year flexibility of £1,643,000. The increase also reflects additional resources of £5,389,000 for the Welfare to Work programme, £6,499,000 for DHSS Winter Pressures, £6,100,000 provided for the Chancellor's Initiative, the transfer of £38,829,000 to the Northern Ireland Office cash limit on Class XV, Vote 1 and other technical changes of £2,709,000.
The cash limit for the Grants to Voluntary Bodies--Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services Vote 6--has been reduced by £873,000 reflecting lower than expected demands on this fund.
The cash limit for the social fund--Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services Vote 6--has been reduced by £50,000 reflecting lower than expected demands on this fund.
The cash limit covering national agriculture capital grant schemes and certain assistance for production, marketing and processing and the fishing industry will increase by £8,512,000 from £16,682,000 to £25,194,000 as a result of additions to the Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance of £8,497,000 and the take-up of entitlement to end year flexibility on capital of £15,000.
The cash limit for the discretionary rent allowance--Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services Vote 6--has been reduced by £634,000 reflecting lower than expected demands on this fund.
The combined gross running costs limit for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland departments will be increased by £40,799,000 from £749,283,000 to £790,082,000. This reflects the take up in 1998-99 of £35,000,000 of the end year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1998, Official Report, columns 134-36, transfers of £4,000,000 in respect of prison officer redundancies, £750,000 for increased Inland Revenue charges, £526,000 in the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, £470,000 in respect of accommodation costs and other minor transfers in totalling £53,000. Of the revised gross running costs provision, £181,391,000 is for the NIO and £608,691,000 is for Northern Ireland Departments. The gross running costs limit for the Welfare to Work programme which is outside the Northern Ireland Departmental Expenditure Limit will be increased from £6,041,000 to £8,193,000.
The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
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Mr. Kemp:
To ask the President of the Council how much Short money was awarded to Her Majesty's Opposition for the current financial year; and what steps are taken to ensure it is used for the purposes laid down by Parliament. [70356]
Mrs. Beckett:
Under the formula set out in the resolution of 4 November 1993, the Official Opposition in the House of Commons are due to receive £1,112,885 in Short money in the current financial year; Cranborne money in the House of Lords amounts to £106,191 for the Official Opposition in 1998-99.
Claims are made by the parties to the Accounting Officers of each House with both a certificate that the expenses have been incurred exclusively in relation to the party's parliamentary business and a report by an independent professional auditor.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will recognise the work of Charles Darwin in the Millennium Dome. [66049]
Janet Anderson:
The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) is examining ways in which aspects of Darwin's work might be incorporated within the Millennium Experience project.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) black and (b) Asian people serve on the Food Advisory Committee of the Dome. [68182]
Janet Anderson:
The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) does not have a Food Advisory Committee. However, it has set up a consultative Catering Review Group. The membership comprises senior representatives of industry-wide bodies including British Hospitality; the Restauranters' Association of Great Britain; Hospitality Training Foundation; and Catering International Management Association. Members serve in an unpaid, advisory capacity. Their input is sought on the basis of their experience and, in case of industry bodies, their representation of all members' interest. None of those industry bodies have so far put forward a black or Asian representative.
Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the dimensions of the Millennium dome are; when tickets for the Millennium dome will first go on sale; what event is planned to mark the first tickets going on sale; how he will recruit people to perform in the central show in the dome; how many jobs have been created by the Millennium dome project to date; and how many people will work in the dome when it opens. [66865]
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Janet Anderson:
The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) plans to release tickets for sale to the general public from early Autumn 1999. The NMEC has no plans to hold a specific event to mark the sale of the first tickets direct to the public for the Millennium Experience. However, as part of the NMEC's planned marketing strategy there will be, during the summer and autumn of this year, a wide range of information on the Millennium Experience including ticket availability and processes; public transport routes; opportunities for travel and Dome ticket packages. This will be achieved through a wide range of media including television and national press.
The NMEC announced on 18 June 1998 that it was starting a recruitment campaign throughout the UK for 100 young people to have the chance to appear in the Millennium Show in the central area of the Dome. The first phase of auditions took place in August 1998 at which 43 young performers were recruited and they are now well into their training programme. The second phase of auditions are currently underway.
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