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4 Mar 2005 : Column 1405W—continued
Whiterock Parade
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Solicitor-General what the reasons were for the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions not to proceed with charges arising from events associated with the Whiterock Parade in July 1993. [216317]
The Solicitor-General: Arising out of an incident at Whiterock, Belfast, on 28 June 2003, the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland received a police file in respect of an alleged breach of a Parades Commission's Determination of 28 June 2003. Following consideration of the file the police were asked to commence proceedings against one individual for an offence contrary to section 8(7) of the Public Processions Act (Northern Ireland) 1998. This is an offence that can only be tried in the magistrates court and proceedings must be commenced within six months of the alleged offence having been committed. The administrative steps required to initiate the proceedings were a matter for the police.
The absence of formal confirmation of commencement of proceedings was noticed by the Department on 23 December 2003 and the police were asked to confirm that proceedings had in fact been commenced. The Department was assured that proceedings had been commenced. In February 2004 the Department was informed that through administrative error, proceedings had not in fact been commenced by police within the statutory time period. As more than six months had elapsed at that stage proceedings were by then statute barred and it was not possible to take any further action.
The Police Service for Northern Ireland referred the matter to the Police Ombudsman for investigation.
Witnesses
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Solicitor-General what powers of investigation are granted to the Crown Prosecution Service to check the credibility and reliability of witnesses, in addition to the initial investigations by the police. [218870]
The Solicitor-General: On 20 December 2004, the Attorney-General published his report on "Pre-trial Interviews with Witnesses". The Attorney recommended that, in certain circumstances, a crown prosecutor should in the future have the ability to hold pre-trial interviews with witnesses.
Such interviews should be conducted for the purpose and the extant that, in the view of the prosecutor, such an interview is necessary in order to assess the reliability of or clarify a witness's evidence. This will inform the decision to prosecute or to continue with a prosecution
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that has already been commenced. The intention is not to gain or obtain new evidence, although further evidence upon which the prosecution would seek to rely may be revealed during the course of the interview. In such circumstances, a police officer will be asked to take a further statement.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has commissioned work to take forward the recommendations of the report and to see how the recommendations can best be piloted.
TRANSPORT
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of refurbishing each ministerial private office was in the last two years. [202416]
Charlotte Atkins: The cost of works in 2002–03 to restore four ministerial suites, the offices of the Permanent Secretary and two Special Advisers and associated private office areas (including those for the ministerial support unit and the parliamentary branch) was £145,660 plus fees plus VAT. This work was undertaken as part of a consolidation package to co-locate Ministers and DfT staff in the same building and has resulted in an annual saving of some £220,000 in accommodation costs to the Department.
Foreign Airlines (Disabled People)
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will press for measures to ensure that deaf and other disabled people are not refused carriage by foreign airlines operating in the UK unless there are legitimate safety grounds; [220213]
(2) if he will request that Iberia Airlines apologise to, and compensate, the party of deaf UK passengers, for refusing to carry them on 22 July 2004. [220214]
Charlotte Atkins: In light of the incident on the Iberia Airlines flight last summer we have referred the issue of restrictions on the number of disabled people who are carried on particular aircraft to the European Civil Aviation Conference's Facilitation Sub Group on air travel for persons with reduced mobility (PRM). The term PRM is used in European fora to refer to disabled and, in some cases, also to other mobility impaired people.
The ECAC group has agreed to look at the issue with a view to seeing what, if any, changes might be needed to current recommended practices and policies. That work item has been included in the progamme for this year.
We have no basis on which to ask Iberia Airlines to apologise to, or to compensate those involved in last summer's incident.
Growth Areas (Funding)
Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department has earmarked for growth areas to ensure that they have the resources required to meet the demands of a growing population. [218332]
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Charlotte Atkins: Apart from the new £200 million Community Infrastructure Fund for transport projects to facilitate new housing development, my Department has taken account of the benefits that particular projects would have for the four growth areas when considering individual proposals, rather than set aside specific parts of national budgets to spend in those areas.
Our latest estimate of recent and planned expenditure on local authority and Highways Agency major transport projects that will support the growth areas is about £3.5 billion. This includes, for example, the cost of a number of Local Transport Plan projects that have been provisionally accepted for DfT funding and therefore assumes that they will obtain all necessary statutory approvals as well as satisfying the Department's detailed scheme assessment requirements.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
2012 Olympics
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what undertakings the Government have given to the London bid team on meeting shortfalls in the budget for the London 2012 bid; and who will be responsible for meeting a shortfall in the budget to deliver a 2012 London bid. [216081]
Tessa Jowell: London 2012 have stated that they are not budgeting for a shortfall on the bid and they have received no assurances from the Government on meeting any shortfall on the bid should one arise. London 2012 and its directors are responsible for ensuring that it has sufficient income to meet its costs.
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with Transport for London on special arrangements to control the flow and numbers of passengers using the London Underground system during the visit of the International Olympic Committee evaluation team to London in February. [216093]
Tessa Jowell: I have had no such discussions. The operation of the London Underground is the responsibility of Transport for London.
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with (a) local authorities, (b) businesses and (c) representatives of users of public roads regarding the use of synchronised traffic lights and other special measures during the visit of the International Olympic Committee evaluation team in February. [216094]
Tessa Jowell: I have had no such discussions, although officials are aware that some measures were considered by Transport for London. The management of traffic signalling in London is the responsibility of Transport for London.
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on promoting London's bid for the 2012 Olympics; how much has been spent in London; and if she will make a statement. [216002]
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Tessa Jowell: As stated in the Command Paper Cm 5867 laid before the House in June 2003, the Mayor and I agreed that DCMS and the London Development Agency (LDA) should contribute to the costs of the bid organisation and associated planning in equal shares to a combined limit of £30 million.
Included within this sum is an agreed grant, with a limit of £20 million and financed in equal part from the DCMS and LDA, to the bid company "London 2012", which oversees the majority of the work associated with promoting the London bid. A cost breakdown of what proportion of this money has been spent in London is not readily available.
The further £10 million is a bid support budget jointly funded and managed by DCMS and the LDA. Costs committed under this budget to date are as follows:
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