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Trans-sexual Working Group

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Trans-sexual Working Group established in April 1999 has reported to him; and if he will make a statement. [137315]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the reply the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones), on 26 July 2000, Official Report, column 697W.

Sex Offenders

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to require people convicted of sex offences overseas to register automatically as such on their return to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [136985]

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Mr. Charles Clarke: I announced a review of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 in a written reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Mr. Hope), Official Report, 26 June 2000, column 395W. Whether and how sex offenders who are convicted abroad can be required to register is an issue which is being considered as part of that review.

Mohammed Maizia

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision on the application by Mohammed Maizia to remain in the UK (Ref. M637152). [136990]

Mrs. Roche: Mr. Maizia's application has now received attention and his representatives will be contacted with a decision within seven days.

Open Prisons (Absconders)

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have escaped from open prisons during (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000, broken down into offences for which they were sentenced; and if he will make a statement. [136999]

Mr. Boateng: Prisoners who escape from open prisons are classified as absconders. The number of absconds from open prisons are given in the table.

	Number
1997	720
1998	607
1999	568
2000 (up to 6 November)	427

A breakdown of these figures by offence could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Radio Broadcasting Licences

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to enable religious organisations to hold national radio broadcasting licences. [137003]

Janet Anderson: I have been asked to reply.

Religious organisations are currently disqualified by provision of Paragraph 2 (1) of Part II of Schedule 2 to the Broadcasting Act 1990 from holding national radio licences. We will publish a White Paper later this year setting out the Government's proposals for reform of broadcasting and telecommunications regulation to ensure a framework is in place which recognises the developments in those industries. The ownership of radio licences for religious broadcasting is one of the issues being considered in that context.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Peacekeeping

7. Mr. St. Aubyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about peacekeeping in Northern Ireland. [135603]

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Mr. Mandelson: I support the Chief Constable's decision to deploy troops to give additional support to the police in dealing with the recent upsurge in violence in North and West Belfast, which has seen four men killed as a result of feuding between loyalist paramilitary organisations and which I strongly condemn. I know from my own visit to the Shankill just how much pain has been suffered and the Government will maintain a proper security presence in these areas to contain the treat.

I also condemn the bomb attack on Castlewellan RUC station last week. This points up the risks taken by the RUC in carrying out their duties and the thoughts of the whole House will be with the severely injured Constable David Fegan and his family at this time.

Peace Process

9. Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact of a stable economy on the peace process in Northern Ireland. [135605]

Mr. George Howarth: A stable and improving economy in Northern Ireland is contributing greatly to the peace process in Northern Ireland, helping to build confidence and demonstrating that Northern Ireland is moving into a brighter and more prosperous future. The peace process has in return benefited the Northern Ireland economy. The Belfast agreement gave a tremendous boost to economic activity in Northern Ireland and the transfer of responsibility for economic matters to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 2 December gave back to locally elected representatives the power to take vital economic decisions for the benefit of the people of Northern Ireland.

16. Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what impact terrorist violence over the summer has had on the prospects for sustained peace. [135612]

Mr. George Howarth: Terrorist violence over the summer and more recently has caused great suffering for many people in Northern Ireland. I hope the whole House will join me in condemning without reservation all of the recent violence and intimidation, which we all hoped had been left behind. I do not believe that it will prevent the achievement of a peaceful and prosperous society in Northern Ireland--that is what the overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland want and voted for in the Referendum.

24. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the peace process in Northern Ireland. [135622]

Mr. Mandelson: We continue to make steady progress in the implementation of the Belfast agreement. The Northern Ireland Executive recently published its first Programme for Government, an impressive range of measures to be taken by the devolved Administration over the coming year. Decommissioning and building confidence remain important priorities. The independent arms inspectors recently carried out a further inspection of IRA arms dumps: they also met the Northern Ireland political parties last week. The security forces continue to take action to deal with dissident republican and loyalist violence. However, I am confident that recent violence

8 Nov 2000 : Column: 257W

will not deflect us from achieving for the people of Northern Ireland the real benefits that will flow from the full implementation of the Belfast agreement.

Petrol Prices

10. Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has held with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about petrol prices in Northern Ireland. [135606]

Mr. Howarth: As the hon. Gentleman is well aware discussions between the Chancellor and Ministers on such matters, for obvious reasons, are confidential.

However, if the hon. Gentleman exercises a little patience, he may hear some more on this subject from my right hon. Friend the Chancellor.

RUC and Prison Service (Intimidation)

11. Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent reports he has received of intimidation against recruits to, and members of, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Northern Ireland Prison Service. [135607]

Mr. Ingram: During the period 1 January to 27 October 2000, there were 155 recorded reports of intimidation/ threats against current and former members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Over the same period, three general threats and 26 specific threats were recorded against members of the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

Decommissioning

12. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about progress on decommissioning terrorist weapons. [135608]

15. Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the prospects for removing illegally-held weapons from Northern Ireland. [135611]

Mr. Ingram: Mr. Ramaphosa and Mr. Ahtisaari have reported that they have completed their second inspection of several IRA arms dumps. We welcome this development--it represents further progress and an honouring of commitments given at the beginning of May. I am confident the inspectors will report any further progress that has been made when they deem it appropriate to do so.

Further progress still needs to be made by both Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries to meet their commitments to being a lasting peace to Northern Ireland.

We would call upon the IRA to re-engage with the Commission to show that further progress will be made as promised in its statement in May.

18. Mr. Savidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met General John de Chastelain to discuss the decommissioning of paramilitary arms. [135614]

Mr. Ingram: Under the Good Friday Agreement the Decommissioning Commission operates as an

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independent body to resolve the decommissioning issue. The Commission has provided written reports on progress on a number of occasions.

I met General de Chastelain on Tuesday 24 October.

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