Written Answers

Local Review Committees: Membership And Training

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many members now serve on local review committees in Her Majesty's prisons; how many of these have attended Home Office training courses; and how long it will be before those now being appointed, consequent to the decision to reduce the parole threshold, have the opportunity to attend such courses.

There are about 1,350 members of local review committees, of whom about 800 are representatives of Boards of Visitors and the Probation Service, and governors or their representatives. About 550 are independent lay members, who are unpaid volunteers, and are given an opportunity of attending a Home Office training course shortly after being appointed. We estimate that about three-quarters of those independent members recruited before 1st April 1983 have already attended a training course. Arrangements have been made to ensure that all new independent members recruited as a result of the reduction in the parole threshold will be given the opportunity to attend a training course within one year of appointment.

Community Service: Northern Ireland

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will indicate, under the operation of the community service scheme introduced in Northern Ireland in April 1979, how many persons, in each of the six-month periods for which information is available,

(i) were given community service orders;

(ii) were sentenced by the courts for breaching the requirements of such orders;

(iii) have been identified as having committed an offence within one year of starting their community service order.

The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (The Earl of Mansfield): The available information is as follows:

	(i) Number of persons made the subject of community service orders	(ii) Number of persons given an alternative sentence by the courts following a breach of such orders
Period
April 1979–30 September 1979	146	—
1 October 1979–31 March 1980	201	15
1 April 1980–30 September 1980	210	15
1 October 1980–31 March 1981	315	26
1 April 1981–30 September 1981	259	22
1 October 1981–31 March 1982	312	18
1 April 1982–30 September 1982	360	14
1 October 1982–31 March 1983	397	31
1 April 1983–30 September 1983	355	17
(iii) Information regarding those identified as having committed an offence within one year of starting their community service order could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Barnacle Geese: Islay

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to issue licences to permit the killing of barnacle geese on Islay in Scotland this winter, and if so whether:

(i) the licences specifically exclude the killing of geese in areas where no damage to crops could occur, such as on saltings:

(ii) the driving of geese from such areas over guns will be prohibited;

(iii) licences will only be issued to farmers who are suffering agricultural damage, or whether landowners will also be granted licences to shoot geese;

(iv) advice is to be given to licensees about scaring techniques, and whether it is a condition of such licences that a variety of scaring techniques must be tried before any geese are shot;

(v) licences to shoot geese have been or will be issued to permit the shooting of geese on any special site of scientific interest on Islay, and what advice was given to the Government by the Nature Conservancy Council on this point;

(vi) officials from the Department of Agriculture will monitor the scaring and shooting of geese on the island this winter in view of the widespread disquiet on the operation of licensing last year.

My Department issued licences for the shooting of barnacle geese on Islay on 4th November 1983. The answers to the specific information sought by the noble Lord are as follows:

(i) the licences are issued specifically to permit killing only to prevent serious damage to agriculture on particular farms but excluding the area of any foreshore. No other special exclusions of areas are made but all killing must he in accordance with the purpose of the licence;

(ii) no, provided that the purpose of the action is to protect agriculture; otherwise it could be regarded as misuse of the licence;

(iii) licences have been issued to tenant farmers, owner-occupiers and landlords where need has been established;

(iv) advice is given but it is not a condition of the licence that scaring techniques must be tried;

(v) in some instances licences have been issued in repect of areas within sites of special scientific interest. Although the Nature Conservancy Council recognise that improved grazing within such areas adds to their value and interest they advised against issue of licences in SSSIs on Islay. The Government felt however that farmers within the areas whose improved grazing and crops were vulnerable to serious damage should have some means of protecting their farms;

(vi) yes.

Mergansers And Goosanders: Shooting Licences

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the numbers and localities where licences have been granted in Scotland to permit the killing of:

(a) mergansers, and

(b) goosanders

and if they will indicate whether these licences are issued to named individuals, or are general licences authorising many different individuals to kill these otherwise protected species.

Licences to shoot mergansers and goosanders for the purpose of protecting salmon and freshwater fisheries are considered only if they come from individuals or bodies with a direct interest in the particular fisheries. Forty-six licences have been issued to shoot mergansers and/or goosanders—seven in Dumfries and Galloway; five in the Borders; fifteen in Highland; seven in Grampian; nine in Tayside; and three in Strathclyde.

Birds: Licensed Killing

asked Her Majesty's Government:What scientific studies they have carried out to demonstrate beyond doubt the need to license the killing of,

(a) herons

(b) cormorants

(c) shags

(d) goosanders and mergansers

in Scotland away from fish farms or similar installations; and whether they will arrange for the publication of this information in view of the requirements of EEC Directive 79/409 which protects these species and only permits their killing in order to prevent serious damage to fisheries.

There have been no recently commissioned scientific studies of the impact of these particular species on fisheries.My right honourable friend consults the Nature Conservancy Council about the granting of licences and the European Commission is informed of the numbers issued and the number of birds killed under authority of these licences.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the populations of (

a) herons and ( b) cormorants in Britain: what percentage of these species' populations are found in Scotland; and what advice has been received from the Nature Conservancy Council over the killing of these species in Scotland.

The Nature Conservancy Council's most recent survey of the cormorant population in Great Britain was in 1969–70. At that time there were estimated to be 3,670 pairs in Scotland, 1,400 pairs in Wales and 1,100 pairs in England. Their equivalent estimate for herons was in 1979 in respect of England and Wales, when there were 5,400 pairs and in 1977 for Scotland when there were 1,500 pairs.The NCC advised the Secretary of State that licences might be granted to freshwater fish farmers to kill herons where other deterrent techniques have proved unsuccessful and that applications to shoot cormorants for the protection of fisheries should be entertained only when they come from individuals with a direct interest in the fisheries and who give information about the damage caused. The council also advised that shooting should not be permitted in coastal waters or at inland breeding colonies.

Cyprus: Consultations

asked Her Majesty's Government:What has been the outcome of their proposals for consultations with the Governments of Greece and Turkey about Cyprus under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee.

:As my right honourable and learned friend said in a Statement last week in another place, he proposed to the Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers on 15th November that we should consult under the terms of the Treaty of Guarantee. The replies we have received set mutually incompatible conditions for such consultations. In light of their first responses to my right honourable and learned friend's proposal, we have made further approaches to both Governments in a renewed endeavour to set up the consultations envisaged in the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee.

Twinning: Britain And Ireland

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware of any moves to encourage the "twinning" of towns or districts in Britain with their counterparts in Ireland: and whether there are ways in which they might facilitate such a process.

We recognise that town or district twinning is a positive way of fostering international understanding and encourage and assist such twinnings whenever possible.There are only two known twinnings so far between towns in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. However, the Joint Twinning Committee of the Local Authority Associations of Great Britain, which facilitates such links and whose secretariat is housed at the British Council in London. are always glad to consider applications from United Kingdom municipalities for travel grants, to explore the possibilities for twinning in the Republic. They are also ready to publicise expressions of interest from at home or abroad in their twice-yearly magazine, which goes out to some 1,200 twinning organisations in the United Kingdom

Written Answers

Volume 445: debated on Tuesday 22 November 1983

Written Answers

Local Review Committees: Membership And Training

Community Service: Northern Ireland

Barnacle Geese: Islay

Mergansers And Goosanders: Shooting Licences

Birds: Licensed Killing

Cyprus: Consultations

Twinning: Britain And Ireland