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Rail Travel (Disabled Access)
Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Disability Discrimination Act Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations will be published. [39879]
27 Apr 1998 : Column: 8
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We are planning to publish shortly a consultation document which will contain draft Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations. The final regulations will be published later this year when they have been approved by Parliament and will apply to all new rail vehicles entering service from 1 January 1999.
Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures the Government are taking to reduce industrial injuries and promote safety at work. [39878]
Angela Eagle:
The Health and Safety Commission's Plans of Work set out what the Commission and the Health and Safety Executive are doing to promote health and safety at work and reduce occupational injury. The Plan for 1998-99 is expected to be published at the end of May. This Government take health and safety at work very seriously and have allocated additional funding of £4.5 million for 1998-99. This will enable the Commission to reinforce its field activity and take forward its key priorities, which will include the improvement of occupational health and cutting injury rates, particularly in the agriculture, construction and manufacturing sectors.
Play Resource Warehouse, Belfast
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will allocate capital funding for the provision of accommodation for the Play Resource Warehouse, Belfast. [39306]
Mr. Worthington: An application from the Play Resource Warehouse for funding for a specific capital project is being considered in the light of available resources.
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what applications the Department of Education, Northern Ireland has received from the Play Resource Warehouse in Belfast for capital funding for new premises. [39305]
Mr. Worthington: One application for part funding was received in 1997 under the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.
Businesses
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many businesses employ 10 or more people in Northern Ireland; how many businesses that employ 10 or more people are members of the CBI in Northern Ireland; on what basis she has assessed that the CBI in Northern Ireland is representative of business opinion on Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [39196]
Mr. Ingram:
At 22 April 1998 there were 6,185 private sector businesses employing 10 or more people in Northern Ireland. Total employment in these firms is some 300,000. I understand the CBI in Northern Ireland has about 300 member firms employing approximately 100,000 people and representing a wide spectrum of
27 Apr 1998 : Column: 9
business activity. I welcome views from the CBI and other business organisations in Northern Ireland on a broad range of economic and commercial topics.
Ministerial Group on the Family
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the Ministerial Group on the Family has met since 1 January; and when it will hold its next meeting. [39383]
Mr. Michael: The Ministerial Group on the Family has met once since 1 January. Its next meeting is planned for 11 May 1998.
Drugs
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the cautioning rates by police force area for (a) the supply of class A drugs, (b) the possession of class A drugs and (c) the supply of class B drugs. [39385]
27 Apr 1998 : Column: 10
Mr. George Howarth:
The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Some information on cautioning rates in 1996 for all drug offences taken together by police force area has recently been published (see table A2.4 in Statistics of Drug Seizures and Offenders dealt with, United Kingdom, 1996--Area Tables), copies of which are in the Library.
Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people were shot dead by police officers in 1997; and of those, how many were (a) unarmed, (b) armed with a replica gun and (c) armed with a gun; [38463]
(3) in how many cases of fatal shootings by the police in each year since 1981 the Police Complaints Authority has issued a certificate of satisfaction in connection with its inquiry. [38466]
Mr. Michael:
The information is given in the table.
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(2) how many of those people who were shot dead by police officers in each of the years 1989 to 1996 were (a) armed with a replica gun, (b) armed with a knife and (c) armed with a gun; [38464]
| Year | Armed with a replica gun | Armed with a knife | Armed with a gun | Unarmed | Still under investigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 starting pistol | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 1992 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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The Police Complaints Authority have kept the relevant records only since 1991. They have supervised investigations into 14 fatal shootings between 1991 and 1997. In every case they have issued a certificate under section 89(7) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, recording their satisfaction with the way in which the investigation was conducted. They are still investigating one case of a fatal shooting during that period.
Millennium Compliance
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if all the computer systems used by the emergency services in England will be millennium compliant by 31 December 1998. [39894]
Mr. Straw:
No. It is the responsibility of each police force and fire authority to ensure that their local information technology (IT) and communications systems are millennium compliant. In prioritising the remedial actions necessary to resolve millennium problems, forces and brigades will take into account the date by which particular systems need to be compliant. Priority will be given to those key systems which will need to be compliant by the start of 1999. For other systems, the end of 1999 will be the target date for compliance.
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Ambulance Trusts and Acute Trusts providing accident and emergency services, in line with other National Health Service organisations, are making every effort to ensure their computer systems are millennium compliant by 31 December 1998. In particular, ambulance command and control systems have been given a very high priority in determining their compliance status and in undertaking the necessary replacements or upgrades. However, in some cases, it may not be possible to complete the latter until the first quarter of 1999.
MISC4, the Ministerial Group on the Millennium Date Change, is continuing to give priority to preparing the national infrastructure, including the emergency services, for the new millennium. I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Swansea, East (Mr. Anderson) on 30 March 1998, Official Report, columns 374-76.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Michael Wellum, of Wrenwell Farm, Denbury, Devon, will receive compensation for the pistols he handed in 1997; and what factors underlie the length of time taken to handle the claim. [39779]
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Mr. Michael:
The claim was received in the Firearms Compensation Section on 28 August 1997. The Option A and B elements of the claim, and of an accompanying ex gratia application under the voluntary surrender scheme for small-calibre pistols, were processed on 23 January 1998 and payment made. The remaining Option C elements, which will require individual consideration of the evidence of value provided, will be dealt with later in the year. As I have said to the House on many occasions, the number and complexity of these compensation claims, and the need for careful examination to counter fraud and ensure payment at the correct rates, are all factors contributing to the processing time.
Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will support the nomination of the Cornish language for inclusion in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. [39700]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ceredigion, (Mr. Dafis) on 9 March 1998, Official Report, column 56.
Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the advantages to (a) Britain and (b) Cornwall and Scilly of the proposal to incorporate the Cornish language in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. [39701]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to his previous question (39700). The advantages to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will form part of the assessment of the relevant Government Departments.
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