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31 Jan 2006 : Column 379W—continued

Tasers

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances tasers have been fired in each police constabulary in England. [44421]

Hazel Blears: I have indicated to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) that I am content for taser to be made available to Authorised Firearms Officers as a less lethal option for use in situations where a firearms authority has been granted alongside conventional firearms.

Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) are, in accordance with the ACPO Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms, issued with firearms where the authorising officer has reason to suppose that they, in the course of their duty, may have to protect themselves or others from a person who is:

in possession of a firearm, or

has immediate access to a firearm, or

is otherwise so dangerous that the officer's use of a firearm may be necessary.

Telephone Tapping

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) discussions his Department has had and (b) research he has commissioned on changing the policy on tapping right hon. and hon. Members' telephone lines; and if he will make a statement. [45847]

Mr. Charles Clarke: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister informed Parliament on 15 December 2005, Official Report, column 173WS, the Government are considering advice from the Interception of
 
31 Jan 2006 : Column 380W
 
Communications Commissioner on this matter. I and my officials have been consulted as part as this process. I have not commissioned any research.

Under-age Drinking

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) businesses and (b) individuals were prosecuted for supplying alcohol to youths under the age of 18 years in (i) England, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) West Lancashire constituency in each of the past five years. [45150]

Paul Goggins: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the number of (a) businesses and (b) individuals prosecuted for supplying alcohol to youths under the age of 18 years in (i) England, (ii) Lancashire in each of the past five years is shown in the table.

The offence of selling alcohol to persons aged under 18 years of age was introduced to the penalty notice for disorder scheme from 1 November 2004 aimed at staff working in licensed premises found to commit this offence. Data from 2004 and provisional data from January to September 2005 showing the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PND) issued for the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 18 are provided in the following table.

It is not possible to identify those prosecuted or issued with PNDs in the West Lancashire constituency because centrally available data is not broken down to that level of detail.

The Licensing Act 2003 came into force on 24 November 2005. Data for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.
Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to the sale of alcohol to underage persons in (i) England, and (ii) Lancashire, 2000 to 2004 1

			England		Lancashire
Offence description	Statute	Year	Businesses	Persons	Businesses	Persons
Selling etc., intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 for consumption on the premises.	Licensing Act, 1964, Section 169(1); Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983, Schedule (Sec. 3) para. 4(1)	2000	1	112	0	1
		2001	—	143	0	13
		2002	2	147	0	14
		2003	28	533	0	23
		2004	20	733	0	21
Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18	Licensing Act 1964, Sec.181A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1988, Sec. 17.	2000	0	2	0	0
		2001	0	3	0	0
		2002	0	2	0	0
		2003	0	12	0	0
		2004	0	5	0	0

⁽²⁶⁾ These data are on the principal offence basis.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Citizens Juries

Mr. Wills: To ask the Solicitor-General (1) on how many occasions the Law Officer's Department have consulted citizens' juries on departmental polices in the last five years; [46194]

(2) on how many occasions the Law Officer's policy has been changed to reflect the recommendations of the citizens' jury in the last five years; [46195]

(3) on how many occasions when a citizens' jury has been consulted by the Law Officers' Department the recommendations of the jury have differed from existing departmental policy. [46196]

The Solicitor-General: None of my Departments have consulted citizens' juries over the last five years and no changes have been made to departmental policies to reflect recommendations from citizens' juries

Law Officers (Castle Point)

Bob Spink: To ask the Solicitor-General how many staff employed by the Law Officers live in Castle Point. [42822]

 
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The Solicitor-General: The Serious Fraud Office, the Treasury Solicitor's Department and HMCPS Inspectorate have no records of any staff living in Castle Point.

The number of staff employed by the Crown Prosecution Service and the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office who live in Castle Point is withheld under section 12a, of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Bob Spink: To ask the Solicitor-General what (a) land and (b) property is owned by the Law Officers in Castle Point. [42899]

The Solicitor-General: None of the Law Officers' Departments owns any land or property in the Castle Point.

CABINET OFFICE

Minister Without Portfolio

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for what reason a Government car has been made available to the Minister without Portfolio. [46953]

Mr. Jim Murphy: The Minister without Portfolio has the use of an official car to assist him in executing his Government duties. He uses the car in accordance with the requirements of Travel by Ministers.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Judiciary

Mr. Amess: To ask the Leader of the House how many motions calling for the removal of a member of the judiciary were tabled in each session of Parliament since 1976. [47486]

Mr. Hoon: Readily available information indicates six occasions on which a motion for a Humble Address for the removal of a High Court Judge has been tabled since 1976. (No such motion for an Address to remove a judge has been passed in either House since 1830.)

Equivalent information is not available for motions relating to other members of the judiciary. Such motions would not take the form of an Address. Further information can be obtained from the Journal Office.

WALES

Departmental Equipment

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) personal computers, (b) laptops, (c) servers, (d) printers, (e) scanners, (f) photocopiers and (g) fax machine his Department owned in (i) Wales and (ii) each English region in (A) 2003–04 and (B) 2004–05. [40098]

Mr. Hain: In June 2003 the Wales Office became a separate entity within the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA). All computer equipment needs are provided to the Wales Office under DCA's contract with Liberata UK, in line with the Government private finance initiative.
 
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Industrial Heritage Museums

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with (a) the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Culture and (b) Cadw in respect of opportunities to promote tourism and employment through the establishment of industrial heritage museums. [46564]

Nick Ainger: I have regular discussions with the Assembly Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport about matters affecting his portfolio, which includes responsibility for Cadw.

I share the Assembly Government's recognition of our industrial heritage as a valuable resource for the development of tourism. The Herian" initiative in South Wales, for example, aims to develop a sustainable approach to interpreting and promoting the area's unique and fascinating industrial heritage for the benefit of visitors and local communities.

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