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Timber

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department plans to contribute financially to the establishment of the second phase of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber. [167615]

Mr. Pearson: There are currently no plans for Northern Ireland Departments to contribute financially to the establishment of the second phase of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber.

TK-ECC Plant

Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the assistance he can give to workers recently made redundant at the TK-ECC plant, Dundonald; and what meetings have been (a) held and (b) arranged with representatives of the workers regarding future employment prospects. [165909]

Mr. Spellar: Following meetings with TK-ECC Senior Management on 25 February and 3 March 2004, officials from the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) took the lead in co-ordinating an inter-Departmental Outreach Service at the company's premises at Dundonald from Monday 8 to Friday 12 March. Representatives from DEL, Invest NI, Social Security Agency and the Inland Revenue provided advice and guidance on a wide range of services including referrals to jobs and training opportunities, benefit claims and entitlement, advice on business start-up and entitlement to tax credits.

The primary objective of the Outreach Service was to secure alternative employment for as many of the work force as possible. In excess of 150 people were subsequently submitted to job vacancies with a further 120 receiving information and advice on training opportunities. In addition, Invest NI entered into discussion with 36 employees, 25 of whom were seeking to start their own business, with a further 11 seeking general business advice and direction. Invest NI also held preliminary discussions with the Managing Director of TK-ECC who was investigating the possibility of a new business venture. To date this has not progressed beyond the preliminary stage.

UK General Lighthouse Fund

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what discussions he has had with other Government Departments regarding the cessation
 
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of payments from the UK General Lighthouse Fund for the provision of navigational aids in Irish territorial waters; [168239]

(2) what discussions he has had with the Irish Government regarding the cessation of payments from the UK General Lighthouse Fund for the provision of navigational aids in Irish territorial waters. [168240]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

The General Lighthouse Fund meets the cost of providing aids to navigation services for the British Isles as a whole, but the Government shares UK shipping industry concerns about the imbalance in the amounts of light dues collected in the UK and in Ireland. Since we reiterated in January our commitment to renegotiate the current level of funding from Ireland there have been further discussions at official level between the Department for Transport and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and with the Irish Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The Northern Ireland Office will also be involved as the dialogue progresses.

Ulster-Scots Agency

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the (a) procedure and (b) timescale for filling the vacant post of Chairman of the Ulster-Scots Agency. [170784]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Under the Implementation Bodies Agreement of 8 March 1999 made between the British and Irish Governments, the North South Ministerial Council fill the vacancy left by Lord Laird's resignation as Chairperson of the Ulster Scots Agency.

During suspension, such decisions are taken by the British and Irish Governments under the Agreement made between the two Governments on 19 November 2002.

No timescale for any such appointment has yet been set.

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the reasons given by the Chairman of the Ulster-Scots Agency for his resignation. [170785]

Angela Smith: In a letter of resignation to the North South Ministerial Council on 23 April, Lord Laird stated that a lack of official support and public funding for the Ulster-Scots Agency were the reasons. This I refute.

The Budget for the Agency has trebled since 2000 to a current level of £1.7 million which is an 11 per cent. increase on last year's budget. This is within a care and maintenance arrangement as agreed by North South Ministerial Council.

My Department continues to work closely with the Ulster-Scots Agency in support of their work.

Youth Football

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial assistance was given to the promotion of youth development programmes in Northern Ireland football during 2003. [165996]

 
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Angela Smith: The amount of financial assistance that was given to the promotion of youth development programmes in Northern Ireland during 2003 was £903,768. This amount was provided via the Departments of Culture Arts and Leisure, Finance and Personnel, Enterprise Trade and Investment and Social Development. The figures include £804,995 from the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure for the 2003–04 financial year.

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further developments have been made in relation to the agreement reached regarding the assistance offered to the Irish Football Association to develop football in Northern Ireland. [169934]

Angela Smith: Discussions are ongoing between my officials, the Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI), the Irish Football Association (IFA) and the Irish Football League (IFL) about arrangements for the provision of DCAL assistance offered to the IFA to develop football in Northern Ireland. In addition, I have approved the terms of reference for a SCNI-led Soccer Strategy Implementation Group, the membership of which will include senior representatives of the IFA. Steps are also being taken to arrange a first meeting of this group.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to promote youth football in Northern Ireland. [168470]

Angela Smith: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) has made available, via the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, £1.6 million for the promotion of youth football in Northern Ireland. Under this programme, 25 youth Football Development Centres, based at clubs, have been established across Northern Ireland. In addition, youth football is one of the key components of the soccer strategy initiative.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether measures to promote youth football in Northern Ireland are dependent on the implementation of the soccer strategy. [168472]

Angela Smith: Current measures supported by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), through the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, to promote youth football in Northern Ireland are not dependent on the implementation of the Soccer Strategy. The development of youth football in the future will be closely linked to the successful implementation of the Soccer Strategy process.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-terrorism Legislation

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow (Ms King) on 8 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1256–57W, on anti-terrorism legislation, if he will collate information on the religious background of those detained under UK anti-terrorism legislation. [166428]

 
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Mr. Blunkett: I do not believe that the religion of an individual is relevant to whether or not they may have been involved in terrorism.

In respect of all detentions under anti-terrorism legislation, there is no requirement for detainees to provide information pertaining to their religion. This data is therefore not collated centrally and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 13 January, Official Report, column 669W, on the Terrorism Act 2000, if he will update the figures. [166813]

Mr. Blunkett: Police records show that since 11 September 2001, 562 people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 and that 97 of those have been charged with offences under that Act (please note that two persons previously reported as originally charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 had their charges amended during the prosecution process) resulting in 14 convictions.

53 people have been released directly into the custody of the immigration services. (Please note that the difference of one here is the result of a review, which identified an erroneous earlier report from a Constabulary.) A further 99 of those arrested under the Act have been charged under other legislation.

280 individuals were released without charge or further sanction. Information on any further action taken is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

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