§ Ms. Clare Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many applications have been made for the use of Trafalgar Square for meetings in the past 12 months; how many have been granted; and how many refused;
(2) if he will list the organisations which have been given permission to hold meetings in Trafalgar Square and those which have been refused over the past 12 months.
§ Mr. WaldegraveAn application from the Co-ordinating Committee for British Withdrawal from Ireland for a meeting on 2 February 1986 was refused. Permission was given for the following 48 events:
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Date Events 2 March 1986 Cyprus Turkish Association 15 March 1986 International Fund for Animal Welfare 22 March 1986 Liberty High School Grenadier Band 30 March 1986 Full Gospel Youth Movement 31 March 1986 am Elim Pentecostal Church 31 March 1986 pm Linkopings Skolmusikar (Swedish Band) 5 April 1986 Eelam Solidarity Campaign 6 April 1986 SOGAT 19 April 1986 Black Horse and Standard Morris Dancers 20 April 1986 Revolutionary Communist Party 10 May 1986 Westminster Morris Men 17 May 1986 Human Rights in Iraq 18 May 1986 Methodist Association of Youth Clubs 24 May 1986 Garston Church 26 May 1986 am Scripture Text Carriers Association 26 May 1986 pm Terence Higgins Trust 1 June 1986 Steelband Association 7 June 1986 United Evangelistic Mobile Units 8 June 1986 Bengali New Year Festival 14 June 1986 The open Air Mission 15 June 1986 Enkopings Paradorkester (Swedish Band) 21 June 1986 Travelling Gospel Workers Mission & Society for Evangelising London 5 July 1986 Trafalgar Square Evangelistic Rallies 12 July 1986 London City Mission 19 July 1986 London Entertains 20 July 1986 Essex International Arts Festival 26 July 1986 Asian Christian Church 27 July 1986 Universal Pentecostal Church 2 August 1986 Organisation of Human Rights in Iraq 9 August 1986 Youth with a Mission 10 August 1986 Tell a Tourist 31 August 1986 Polish Solidarity Campaign 6 September 1986 Concert World Bomhus Band (Swedish Band) 7 September 1986 Speakeasy (Musical entertainment) 13 September 1986 East Saxon Sword (Morris Men) 14 September 1986 Havering Girl Pipers 20 September 1986 United Evangelistic Mobile Units 27 September 1986 The Society for Evangelising London 5 October 1986 Metropolitan Templar Federation
Date Events 11 October 1986 The Scripture Text Carriers Association 18 October 1986 Labour Party Young Socialists 19 October 1986 Sea Cadet Association 25 October 1986 Lynx 2 November 1986 Jarrow 86 9 November 1986 Anti-Fascist Action 16 November 1986 Festival of Prophet's Birthday 10 January 1987 Tamil Eelam Support Committee 24 January 1987 Student Organisation of London Tamils In addition applications for use of the Square up to 30 April 1987 have been decided as follows:— 21 February 1987 National Union of Students Refused 14 March 1987 City of London Anti-Apartheid Group Refused 15 March 1987 Internation Fund for Animal Welfare Given 11 April 1987 United Evangelistic Mobile Units Given Permission for large meetings is currently being refused on public safety grounds while Nelson's column is being cleaned.
Work on major refurbishment of the square is expected to begin this summer and to last for at least two years. During that time no meetings of any kind will be allowed at the square except for the traditional events before Christmas and on new year's eve.