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Appointments (Quangos)

Mr. Singh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many appointments to quangos he made between (a) 1 June 1997 and 31 May 1998 and (b) 1 June 1998 and 31 May 1999; and in each case of those how many were members of Britain's (i) Asian and (ii) ethnic minority communities. [92138]

Mr. Chris Smith: The information is noted on the following table, which includes all appointments which fall under my responsibility or where my role is to advise my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and, through him, Her Majesty The Queen. Where numbers of public appointees in any category are less than five, Government policy on disclosure of the ethnic origin is not to provide this data to avoid the risk of identifying individuals without their consent.

TotalAsian (49)All ethnic minorities
1 June 1997-31 May 1998
DCMS + HMQ(50)101Not disclosed5(4.9%)
1 June 1998-31 May 1999
DCMS + HMQ(51)1585(3.1%)7(4.4%)

(49) Asian includes Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese

(50) Includes 13 appointments where information on ethnic background is not known or where appointees have declined to disclose this information

(51) Includes 21 appointments where information on ethnic background is not known or where appointees have declined to disclose this information

My Department has published an action plan on equal opportunities in Quangos--Opening up Public Appointments 1999-2002, which was published by the Government on 25 May 1999 and deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. The action plan sets out DCMS objectives and targets for improving representation of women, people from ethnic minority groups and from people with disabilities.

Official Documents

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish a list of all those official documents of the last administration which have been seen by (a) him, (b) other Ministers in his Department, (c) special advisers in his Department and (d) non-career civil servants appointed since May 1997 in his Department. [92183]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 20 July 1999]: A large number of official documents were generated during the period of the previous administration, many of which were published or put in the public domain. Since May 1997, the Department has been guided by the convention governing access to the papers of a

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previous administration, as set out in the then Prime Minister's reply to a written question on 24 January 1980, Official Report, columns 305-07.

Football World Cup

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his latest estimate of the cost to public funds of the campaign to bring the 2006 Football World Cup to the United Kingdom. [91225]

Mr. Banks: The Football Association advise that, up to the end of 1998, they have spent £3,053,522 on the 2006 World Cup bid, of which £1,328,404 has been provided by Sport England's Lottery Sports Fund. The total budget for the 2006 campaign is some £9.4 million.

Correspondence

Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the average time for a substantive reply to be sent to hon. Members' correspondence; what proportion takes more than (a) four weeks, (b) six weeks and (c) eight weeks; and what is his estimate of the number of letters received in a year from hon. Members. [92444]

Mr. Chris Smith: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) on 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 403-06, which sets out performance against departmental targets for answering correspondence from right hon. and hon. Members in the 1998 calendar year. More detailed information about the percentage of correspondence replied to within the time scales specified could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

CCTV

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 June 1999, Official Report, column 434, on CCTV, which cameras, other than CCTV ones, have been granted type approval for providing evidence in speeding cases; and what assessment he has made of their reliability. [91758]

Mr. Boateng: Before type approval is granted to a speed enforcement camera under section 20 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, it is subject to testing to assess its accuracy and reliability. This involves testing by the police and by an independent laboratory against standards set by the Police Scientific Development Branch. Only equipment which meets such standards is granted type approval. All type-approved equipment for speed enforcement is calibrated annually and police procedures for dealing with evidence from cameras provide for further checks on the accuracy and reliability of the equipment.

The speed cameras that have been granted type approval are:



    Serco Speed Enforcement System


    Truvelo Combi S


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    Traffiphot "S"


    Autovision 2


    Autovision 3


    Lastec


    LaserCam.

New Deal (Young People)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals his Department has recruited under the New Deal for Young People. [91887]

Mr. Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) on 25 May 1999, Official Report, column 116.

Since then, the number of people recruited to the Home Office under the New Deal for Young People has increased to five (of whom three were 18-24 years and two were 25 or over).

Handguns Amnesty

Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with members of the Association of Chief Police Officers concerning a future amnesty for owners of illegally held handguns. [91929]

Kate Hoey: The Home Office is in regular contact with the Association of Chief Police Officers on a range of firearms matters. The need for a national amnesty for the owners of illegally held handguns is being assessed as part of a general amnesty for all firearms. No firm decision has yet been taken regarding timing. In the meantime, the Government will respond sympathetically to any calls from the police for local amnesties where there is a high level of community and public support.

Keith Birchall

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons it took from January 1998 to June 1999 to decide whether Keith Birchall should be granted compensation. [91826]

Kate Hoey: Mr. Birchall's application for compensation for a wrongful conviction was made on 20 February 1998. In October 1997, a review had begun of the interpretation of section 133(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, which provides that compensation shall be paid where a conviction has been


This review involved obtaining legal advice, consultation with other Departments and Ministers, and internal consideration. Mr. Birchall's application was one of a number that could not be determined until the review was concluded in April 1999; I am sorry that it took so long to do so.

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Justice and Victims Unit

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are currently working in the Justice and Victims Unit; and what are their responsibilities. [91825]

Mr. Boateng: There are currently 28 staff in the Justice and Victims Unit of the Home Office. Their responsibilities are:


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