19 July 2007 : Column 480Wcontinued
Sports: VAT
Daniel Kawczynski:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will discuss with the Chancellor of the Exchequer the removal of VAT on sports tuition to help schools and local councils provide sports training for young people. [150911]
Mr. Sutcliffe:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to discuss the VAT treatment of tuition in sport with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. There is already a wide ranging exemption from VAT for education. This relief also covers most sports tuition in schools, and similar tuition by local authorities and charitable bodies that do not seek to make any profit from this activity.
Television: Scots Gaelic Language
Mr. MacNeil:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with Ofcom and the other strategic partners on a commitment to a date for first transmission by the Gaelic language television channel; and what the outcome of such discussions has been. [150314]
James Purnell
[holding answer 18 July 2007]: None, but I understand that the Gaelic Media Service, the BBC and Ofcom are working together with the intention of launching the Gaelic Digital Service as soon as possible.
Northern Ireland
Climate Change: Legislation
Mr. McGrady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with Northern Ireland Ministers on the co-ordination of legislation on climate change across the UK. [149416]
Paul Goggins:
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has not had any discussions with Northern Ireland Ministers about the co-ordination of legislation on climate change across the UK. However, Arlene Foster MLA, in her role as Northern Ireland's Environment Minister, met with David Miliband when he was Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to discuss this issue and other matters, in June of this year. Also, officials in DEFRA and DOE(NI) remain in close contact as this work develops.
19 July 2007 : Column 481W
Department: Legislation
Mr. Clegg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criminal offences have been introduced by his Department in primary legislation since October 2006. [149723]
Paul Goggins:
The criminal offences introduced by the Northern Ireland Office since October 2006 are shown in the following tables. For completeness both Acts and Orders in Council are included.
Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 |
Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 | Offence |
Section 10
|
Disclosing juror information without lawful authority.
|
Section 15
|
Failure to comply with a notice to provide information to NIHRC; failure to comply with an order made by a county court to provide such information; falsify anything provided or produced in accordance with a notice or order; or make a false statement in giving oral evidence in accordance with a notice.
|
Section 16
|
Failing to comply with an order of the county court requiring a person not to obstruct NIHRC in investigating a place of detention.
|
Section 21
|
Failing to stop when required to do so under that section (power of stop and question); refusing to answer a question; failing to answer a question to the best of his knowledge and ability
|
Paragraph 8 of Schedule 3
|
Knowingly failing to comply with a requirement imposed under paragraph 3; or wilfully seeking to obstruct or frustrate a search of premises.
|
Paragraph 9 of Schedule 3
|
Failing to stop when required to do so under paragraph 4 (stop and search).
|
Section 26
|
Failing to stop a vehicle when required to do so.
|
Section 27
|
Wilfully obstructing a member of Her Majesty's Forces in the exercise of a power under that section (document examination).
|
Section 31
|
Interfering with works executed in connection with the exercise of powers in sections 29 and 30; or interfering with any apparatus, equipment or other thing used in connection with the exercise of those powers.
|
Section 32(2)
|
Interfering with road closure works or road closure equipment.
|
Section 32(3)
|
Executing bypass works within 200m of road closure works, having within his possession or under his control within 200m of road closure works, materials or equipment suitable for executing bypass works; or knowingly permitting on land occupied by him the doing or occurrence of anything which is an offence under this subsection.
|
Paragraph 12 of Schedule 4
|
Offence of obtaining compensation or increased compensation by deception; and offence of knowingly making a false or misleading statement, making a statement which he does not believe to be true, or knowingly failing to disclose a material fact.
|
Paragraph 4 of Schedule 6
|
Providing or offering to provide security services for reward without a licence.
|
19 July 2007 : Column 482W
Paragraph 5 of Schedule 6
|
Publishing or causing to be published an advertisement for the provision for reward of security services by a person who does not hold a licence.
|
Paragraph 6 of Schedule 6
|
Paying money in respect of the provision of security services to a person who does not hold a licence.
|
Paragraph 8 of Schedule 6
|
In connection with an application for a security licence: making a statement which he knows to be false or misleading in a material particular; or recklessly making a statement which is false or misleading in a material particular.
|
Paragraph 19 of Schedule 6
|
Failing to comply with paragraph 17(provision of information about new employees) or paragraph 18 (provision of information about a change of personnel).
|
Paragraph 20 of Schedule 6
|
Failing to comply with a requirement to produce records of an employee for inspection.
|
Paragraph 21 of Schedule 6
|
Making or keeping a record of a person employed as a security guard which he knows to be false or misleading in a material particular.
|
Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (NI) Order 2007 |
Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) NI) Order 2007 | Offence |
Article 12(2)
|
Interfering with works executed or interfering with any apparatus, equipment or other thing used in connection with the exercise of the road closure power provided by Article 12(1).
|
Schedule 5, Paragraph 2(3)
|
Failure to give a (community support officer) CSO name and address where the CSO has reason to believe a person has committed a relevant offence
|
Schedule 5, Paragraph 4(6)
|
Making off while subject to a requirement to wait with a CSO for a period not exceeding 30 minutes for the arrival of a constable or making off while accompanying a CSO to a police station.
|
Schedule 5, Paragraph 8(4)
|
Failure to consent to being searched after refusal to surrender alcohol or tobacco.
|
Schedule 5, Paragraph 9(4)
|
Failure to give a CSO his name and address after a CSO finds, or reasonably believes a person to be in possession of a controlled drug
|
Departments: Official Visits
David Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on overnight accommodation by civil servants within his Departments areas of responsibilities in the last 12 months. [149052]
Paul Goggins:
The cost of overnight accommodation and subsistence for civil servants within the Northern Ireland Offices areas of responsibilities for the financial year 2006-07 was £512,000.
The cost of overnight accommodation could be separated from this figure only at disproportionate cost.
19 July 2007 : Column 483W
Police Service of Northern Ireland
David Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many temporary advances issued to police officers in Northern Ireland (a) attending courses outside Northern Ireland and (b) performing operational duty outside Northern Ireland are outstanding; and what the total value is of those advances. [148437]
Paul Goggins:
The total amount of outstanding advances to police officers at 30 June 2007 was £39,333.93.
The information needed to provide a breakdown by activity is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) full-time, (b) part-time reservist and (c) full-time reservist police officers are employed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and what the comparable figures have been for the last 10 years for which figures are available. [150986]
Paul Goggins:
The police strength figures for the last 10 years are shown in the following table:
A s at 31 December each year | Regular | Full-time reserve | Part-time reserve |
1997
|
8,485
|
2,982
|
1,324
|
1998
|
8,456
|
2,936
|
1,238
|
1999
|
8,445
|
2,719
|
1,174
|
2000
|
8,268
|
2,555
|
1,097
|
2001
|
7,149
|
2,256
|
1,032
|
2002
|
7,129
|
1,862
|
952
|
2003
|
7,323
|
1,645
|
868
|
2004
|
7,484
|
1,419
|
909
|
2005
|
7,490
|
1,060
|
844
|
2006
|
7,534
|
793
|
781
|
July 2007
|
7,413
|
675
|
863
|
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of (a) full-time, (b) part-time reservist and (c) full-time reservist Police Service of Northern Ireland officers are (i) Catholic and (ii) Protestant; what the comparable figures were in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [150987]
Paul Goggins:
In 1998 when Patten conducted his investigation, only 8.3 per cent. of regular officers were from the Catholic community. Under the temporary 50:50 provisions Catholic composition among regular officers has risen to 22.45 per cent. (as of 11 June 2007) with 2,699 recruits having been selected for appointment on a 50:50 basis.
I am advised by PSNI that the percentage figures for community background of regular officers, part-time reserve and full-time reserve for the last 10 years is as set out in the following table. The figures have been
19 July 2007 : Column 484W
compiled from the Annual Monitoring Returns to the Equality Commission and relate to 1 January of each year.
| Percentage non-Catholic | Percentage Catholic | Percentage not determined | Total number |
( a) Full- time
| | | | |
1998
|
88.56
|
8.23
|
3.20
|
8,491
|
1999
|
88.32
|
8.33
|
3.34
|
8,462
|
2000
|
88.27
|
8.37
|
3.36
|
8,516
|
2001
|
88.18
|
8.45
|
3.36
|
8,352
|
2002
|
87.64
|
8.88
|
3.47
|
7,227
|
2003
|
85.04
|
11.68
|
3.28
|
7,193
|
2004
|
83.03
|
13.88
|
3.08
|
7,332
|
2005
|
80.38
|
16.88
|
2.75
|
7,496
|
2006
|
78.32
|
19.05
|
2.63
|
7,492
|
2007
|
76.36
|
21.06
|
2.59
|
7,542
|
| | | | |
(b) Part-time reservist
| | | | |
1998
|
93.88
|
4.83
|
1.28
|
1,324
|
1999
|
93.78
|
4.93
|
1.29
|
1,238
|
2000
|
93.84
|
4.88
|
1.28
|
1,168
|
2001
|
93.80
|
4.83
|
1.37
|
1,097
|
2002
|
93.56
|
5.15
|
1.29
|
1,010
|
2003
|
93.42
|
5.20
|
1.38
|
942
|
2004
|
93.50
|
5.11
|
1.39
|
861
|
2005
|
93.21
|
5.57
|
1.22
|
898
|
2006
|
92.62
|
6.05
|
1.33
|
826
|
2007
|
92.49
|
6.35
|
1.17
|
772
|
| | | | |
(c) Full-time reservist
| | | | |
1998
|
87.72
|
6.91
|
5.37
|
2,981
|
1999
|
87.47
|
6.91
|
5.62
|
2,936
|
2000
|
87.38
|
6.95
|
5.67
|
2,718
|
2001
|
87.24
|
7.05
|
5.71
|
2,555
|
2002
|
86.93
|
6.94
|
6.13
|
2,234
|
2003
|
86.96
|
6.63
|
6.41
|
1,856
|
2004
|
86.90
|
6.46
|
6.64
|
1,641
|
2005
|
86.95
|
6.21
|
6.84
|
1,418
|
2006
|
88.60
|
5.65
|
5.75
|
1,044
|
2007
|
89.96
|
5.08
|
4.95
|
767
|