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Tobacco
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with national representatives of trading standards officers about implementation of the proposed Draft Tobacco (Prohibition of Advertising) Regulations 1999. [R] [92248]
Mr. Straw: To date, I have had no meetings to discuss the proposed Draft Tobacco (Prohibition of Advertising) Regulations 1999 with national representatives of trading standards officers.
Football Offences
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in London have been charged with offences under the Football (Offences) Act 1991 following incidents at London clubs. [92396]
Kate Hoey: The Metropolitan Police advise that in season 1998-99 there were 47 arrests under the Football (Offences) Act 1991. Of these, 24 people were charged with offences under the 1991 Act. A further eight people were issued with a caution. Information is not readily available for earlier years and I will write to my hon. Friend when this becomes available.
Firearms Consultative Committee
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the future of the Firearms Consultative Committee. [93082]
Mr. Boateng: Under the terms of the Firearms Consultative Committee Order 1996, the Firearms Consultative Committee will continue in existence until 1 February 2000. It is open to the Government at that stage to make a further Order for three years. This will be considered nearer the time.
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to appoint a new chairman to the Firearms Consultative Committee. [93081]
Mr. Boateng:
We are presently considering the arrangements for chairing the Firearms Consultative Committee.
26 Jul 1999 : Column: 71
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contingency plans he has made in relation to the possibility of a national firefighters' strike. [92899]
Mr. George Howarth:
There are already well- established contingency arrangements for dealing with threats of industrial action in the fire service. These include arrangements, where possible and where needed, for military assistance to fire authorities so that emergency fire cover can be provided. The Government are also ready to consider such other measures as may be appropriate, to discharge their overriding responsibility for ensuring the protection and security of the public.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings against two police officers
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involved in a disturbance on the Holloway Road on 17 March 1996; and what measures have been taken to address the concerns of the victims. [92679]
Kate Hoey:
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that a Commander's Discipline Board found two officers guilty of making an unnecessary arrest, and disciplined them. Both officers were cleared of using excessive force. The person who was arrested made a formal complaint, which led to disciplinary proceedings. It will have been for the Police Complaints Authority to inform the complainant of the outcome.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 July 1999, Official Report, column 77, on the Local Inmates Database, what is the ethnic composition of the prison population. [92930]
Mr. George Howarth:
The requested information is given in the table. This information is included in the April 'Prison Population Briefing' at the internet site http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/areas/prisf.htm.
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| Ethnic group (percentage) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of prisoner | Total | Total percentage | White(11) | Black | South Asian | Chinese and other |
| Males and Females | 64,212 | 100 | 82 | 12 | 3 | 3 |
| British Nationals | 58,884 | 100 | 86 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| Foreign Nationals | 5,262 | 100 | 79 | 12 | 3 | 6 |
| Unrecorded | 66 | 100 | 33 | 35 | 11 | 21 |
| Males | 61,036 | 100 | 82 | 12 | 3 | 3 |
| British Nationals | 56,199 | 100 | 86 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| Foreign Nationals | 4,775 | 100 | 81 | 13 | 3 | 3 |
| Unrecorded | 62 | 100 | 34 | 33 | 12 | 21 |
| Females | 3,176 | 100 | 76 | 19 | 1 | 4 |
| British Nationals | 2,685 | 100 | 86 | 11 | 1 | 2 |
| Foreign Nationals | 487 | 100 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Unrecorded | 4 | 100 | 23 | 59 | 3 | 15 |
(11) Includes those with no recorded ethnic group
26 Jul 1999 : Column: 71
Firearms Clubs
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 25 May 1999, Official Report, column 98, on firearms training, if he will list those schools that have target-shooting clubs approved by his Department; how many firearms, of what calibre, are stored on school premises; and how many pupils are enrolled in these clubs each year. [92678]
Mr. Boateng:
For reasons of security, it is not our policy to publish the locations at which firearms are stored. Records of the number and calibre of firearms held by individual schools and of the number of pupils enrolled in the shooting club are not kept centrally. Each school club appoints a responsible adult to take charge of all aspects of shooting at the school. The responsible adult must have personal experience of the weapons used by the school and at least one year's experience of exercising control of the age group of pupils concerned. This adult is issued with a firearm certificate by the police on which the club's guns are entered. Before any school club is granted approval, the police inspect the armoury in which
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the guns will be stored. No club is allowed to hold more guns on the club certificate than can be safely stored in the armoury under secure conditions. Nor are they allowed to possess guns with muzzle energies and velocities greater than those stipulated on the range safety certificate.
Film Council
2. Ms Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the ways in which the establishment of the new Film Council will benefit the British film industry. [91340]
21. Mr. Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the ways in which the establishment of the new Film Council will benefit the British film industry. [91359]
Mr. Chris Smith:
The Film Council will deliver a coherent strategy for the development of a sustainable UK film industry, taking forward the vision set out in the Film
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Policy Review. The Council will be a Lottery distributor in its own right, guaranteeing, for the first time, a dedicated share of Lottery resources for film amounting to at least £27 million, a significant increase on previous years.
Over the next three years, the Film Council will receive in the region of £150 million to put into support for the film industry and film culture.
10. Mr. Bradshaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress he has made on proposals to improve provision for cyclists in the Royal Parks. [91348]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
The Royal Parks Agency has agreed to provide a number of new cycle routes through the Royal Parks. Progress depends on the availability of resources and the outcome of consultation. I have asked the Agency to consider how provision for cyclists can be extended further.
11. Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the New Opportunities Fund will award its first grants. [91349]
Mr. Banks:
The New Opportunities Fund announced its first awards on 12 July 1999. A total of £1,870,443 has been awarded under its out-of-school-hours child care programme to 115 projects across the UK creating a total of 8,736 new out-of-school child care places.
12. Mr. Jenkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the objectives are of the three-year funding agreements negotiated by his Department with its sponsored bodies. [91350]
Mr. Chris Smith:
Funding agreements provide a focus for my Department's relationship with its sponsored bodies. They detail the outputs which each of the bodies has agreed to achieve in return for public funding.
14. Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the relationship between BBC Scotland and the rest of the BBC. [91352]
Mr. Chris Smith:
I have had no such discussions. The BBC's Royal Charter and Agreement ensure the Corporation's independence in the management of its day-to-day affairs.
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