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Shooting Events
Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the ban on handguns will prevent shooting events being staged during any international games held in the United Kingdom. [92760]
Mr. Banks: Prohibited weapons may not be possessed without the express authority of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. During the passage of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 through Parliament, it was agreed that provision could be made for competitors in pistol events in major competitions such as the Olympics or Commonwealth Games to be granted temporary authority to allow them to bring their pistols into the country for the duration of the event. Indeed, the European Police Pistol Championships were held in this country shortly after the prohibition on handguns took effect, and I understand the arrangements worked smoothly and no problems were experienced by any of the competitors.
Mr. Laxton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provisions have been made to allow sportsmen and women who have previously represented
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the United Kingdom in events using handguns of a calibre now banned to continue to compete in future Olympic and Commonwealth Games. [92759]
Mr. Banks:
The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 prohibited handguns of the type used in competition shooting, but it applies only in Great Britain. There is no bar to British pistol shooters practising and competing abroad in whatever disciplines or events they wish. I understand that some competition shooters have chosen to practice and compete in this way.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the authorities in Botswana over the hosting of the Football World Cup in 2006. [93143]
Mr. Banks:
During my visit to Botswana from 26-30 April with the Football Association I met the hon. Lt. Gen. Mompati S. Merafhe MP, Botswanan Minister for Foreign Affairs, the hon. B. K. Temane MP, Minister for Labour and Home Affairs, the Chairman and representatives of the Botswanan Football Association. I discussed a number of sports issues including UEFA's Meridian Project which links the English FA with Botswana, the significance of sport in national development and the forthcoming Botswanan White Paper on Sports Policy. I also took the opportunity to outline the merits of the FA's bid for the 2006 World Cup. The meetings were extremely useful and productive, and built upon the excellent bi-lateral relations which already exist between our two countries.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which organisations applied to hold meetings in Trafalgar Square, London on 18 July; in what order the applications were received; which organisation held a meeting on 18 July at Trafalgar Square; and if he will make a statement. [92939]
Mr. Alan Howarth
[holding answer 26 July 1999]: The Turkish Cypriot Network (TCN) and the National Federation of Greek Cypriots (NFGC) made requests by telephone some time ago to use Trafalgar Square on 18 July and the NFGC by letter on 4 January. Both organisations were advised that the normal practice is to consider applications no more than 3 months in advance and that they should re-apply at that time.
The TCN applied to hold a party and were invited on 20 April to submit details of their intentions: these were submitted on 30 April and permission was refused on 7 May since the proposed celebrations were inappropriate to and out of scale with Trafalgar Square. On 3 May the NFGC sent by facsimile a copy of a letter dated 18 April seeking approval to hold a rally in Trafalgar Square with speeches; similar rallies have been held in Trafalgar Square by this group for a number of years.
The TCN submitted a revised proposal on 12 May. Two other requests to use Trafalgar Square on 18 July were made during this period, but no details were given and no reply received to the Department's request for further information.
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My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's judgment was that the proposal from the NFGC of 7 May was the first which constituted an application for an event suitable for Trafalgar Square and he noted that such an event had taken place in previous years: this application therefore received consent. The TCN were invited to consider alternative venues for their event. A march from Marble Arch to Belgrave Square, which we understand TCN attended, was held by the British Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations on 18 July.
Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement about employment opportunities in the north west resulting from the celebrations connected with the Millennium Experience. [72123]
Janet Anderson:
I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of the House.
Jackie Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he has established a baseline for policy appraisal against which to measure progress on equal treatment. [93463]
Mr. Chris Smith:
As part of the Government's commitment to ensuring that their policies are relevant to the lives that people live today, my Department is working with the Women's Unit, Home Office and DfEE to develop good practices for ensuring that our policies meet the changing needs of all members of society.
"Policy Appraisal for Equal Treatment", published by the Cabinet Office, Home Office, DfEE and the Women's Unit in November 1998, has been circulated to staff within my Department to ensure that the effects of any policy changes on all sections of the population are considered at the earliest stage of policy development.
My Department has set targets for measuring progress on equal treatment in its own employment policies and in appointments to its sponsored bodies. It requires those sponsored bodies to set targets for equal treatment in their areas of interest.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes are to be made to the guidelines on the police use of baton rounds. [93894]
Mr. Straw:
I have approved new operational guidelines on the use of baton rounds, which will be issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers, replacing current Home Office guidance. These will come into force on 1 August 1999. With the agreement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the guidelines will apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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The new guidelines will clarify that baton rounds may be used where other methods of policing to restore order have been tried and failed or are likely to fail; and there is a risk of loss of life or serious injury arising from serious public disorder; or a risk of serious and substantial damage to property which gives rise to a risk of loss of life or serious injury. The new guidelines clarify that, in assessing the risk of loss of life or serious injury occurring, account should be taken of the risk to police officers and members of the emergency services as well as to members of the public and others. The revised guidelines place the use of baton rounds within the current command and control structure for dealing with serious public disorder and other critical incidents.
A copy has been placed in the Library.
Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to publish the 1988 report on the operation of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. [93895]
Mr. Straw:
I have published this report today and copies have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Ian Stewart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Interdepartmental Working Group on Preventing Unsuitable People from Working with Children and Abuse of Trust on the details of their scheme to protect children following their report on 25 January; and if he will make a statement. [93896]
Mr. Straw:
Following its report on 25 January, we asked the Interdepartmental Working Group to work up the details of the scheme. It has now completed this work. I will be placing a short summary in the Library on 29 July.
Mr. Ian Stewart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the Immigration (Places of Detention) Direction 1996; and if he will make a statement. [93897]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Immigration (Places of Detention) Direction 1996 has been amended and copies have been placed in the Library.
It was necessary to amend the Direction in order to:
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enable detention, where facilities have been specially provided, at immigration offices which are not at ports of entry. This will allow our proposals for a new reporting centre at Becket House to be implemented in October of this year when it is expected to be ready for operation;
delete the 'out of date' reference to Meadvale detention centre, which is no longer in operation; and
amend reference to a 'place of safety' in a Northern Ireland context to take account of the observations of the Legislative Counsel in Northern Ireland.
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