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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 22 April 1999
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Bank Charges
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to meet representatives of the banking community to discuss their charging practices. [81646]
Dr. Howells: This policy area is the responsibility of Her Majesty's Treasury. I have no plans to meet representatives at this time.
Shipbuilding Intervention Fund
Dr. Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the availability of Shipbuilding Intervention Fund grants for 1999. [82166]
Mr. Battle: I have decided to extend the Shipbuilding Intervention Fund for currently eligible yards until 31 December 1999. The rates of support will be unchanged from those in 1998, namely 9 per cent. for large ships and 4½ per cent. for small ships, both rates inclusive of Shipbuilders' Relief of 2 per cent. These are the maximum rates permitted within the EU's Shipbuilding Regulation.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Lough Foyle
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the policy of Her Majesty's Government is on the pay of the crew of the research vessel Lough Foyle. [81213]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland contracts out the management and crewing of the research vessel "Lough Foyle" via periodic competitive tender.
The tenderers, not the Department, determine the pay of the crew, within an overall tender package.
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Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many legally registered firearms have been (a) reported stolen, (b) found to be missing and (c) otherwise separated from (i) private and (ii) public owners in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage that represents of the total number of legally held weapons. [81131]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 21 April 1999]: Records are not maintained by the RUC in a manner that would provide a breakdown of firearms stolen or found to be missing into the categories requested. However I am advised by the Chief Constable that the total numbers of legally registered firearms reported stolen or found to be missing from private and public owners in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years are follows:
| Period | Private | Public | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 April 1989-15 April 1990 | 78 | 5 | 83 |
| 16 April 1990-15 April 1991 | 79 | 10 | 89 |
| 16 April 1991-15 April 1992 | 76 | 1 | 77 |
| 16 April 1992-15 April 1993 | 87 | 4 | 91 |
| 16 April 1993-15 April 1994 | 84 | 1 | 85 |
| 16 April 1994-15 April 1995 | 84 | 2 | 86 |
| 16 April 1995-15 April 1996 | 80 | 2 | 82 |
| 16 April 1996-15 April 1997 | 97 | 3 | 100 |
| 16 April 1997-15 April 1998 | 143 | 2 | 145 |
| 16 April 1998-15 April 1999 | 125 | 4 | 129 |
| Total | 933 | 34 | 967 |
In the present context "public owners" is taken to mean those public sector employees who require a firearm for their official duties and hold same on foot of a firearms certificate issued to them by the Chief Constable.The methods used by the RUC to keep firearms statistics in general, or those reported stolen or found to be missing do not permit a percentage calculation for the years requested.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the names of approved firearms clubs giving (a) the estimated membership of each, (b) the parliamentary constituency in which its premises are located and (c) the (i) number and (ii) types of weapons reported (1) stolen and (2) lost from each club in the last five years. [81132]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 21 April 1999]: The following is a list of firearms clubs authorised by the Secretary of State under Article 54 of the Firearms (NI) Order 1981 together with the estimated membership of each and the Parliamentary Constituencies in which the clubs' authorised premises are located. I am advised by the Chief Constable that information regarding the number and types of firearms reported stolen or lost from each club in the last five years is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many legally held firearms there are in Northern Ireland (a) in total and (b) of each type. [81133]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 21 April 1999]: The Chief Constable has advised me that at 31 December 1998 there were 139,588 legally held firearms in Northern Ireland. The breakdown of these is as follows:
| Type of firearm | Number |
|---|---|
| Shotguns | 90,548 |
| Airguns | 22,109 |
| Rifles | 14,254 |
| Handguns | 12,090 |
| Miscellaneous | (1)587 |
(1) Mainly firearms used for the humane killing of animals
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ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Discontinued Prosecutions
32. Mr. David Heath: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions the Crown Prosecution Service has discontinued criminal prosecutions since May 1997 on the grounds of disproportionate cost. [80380]
The Solicitor-General:
Each case which the police send to the Crown Prosecution Service is reviewed by a
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Crown Prosecutor. The case will be carefully considered to make sure that it meets the tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, which is issued under section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. The Code states that where there is enough evidence to offer a realistic prospect of conviction, in cases of seriousness, a prosecution will be the usual course of action unless there are public interest factors tending against prosecution which clearly outweight those tending in favour.
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