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19 July 2007 : Column 480W—continued

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.


19 July 2007 : Column 482W
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.

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 Department’s 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 Office’s 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


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