HC Deb 11 December 1990 vol 182 cc352-3W
Mr. Pendry

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those sections of the Football Spectators Act not currently in force; and whether the Government have any current plans to bring each such section into force.

Mr. John Patten

There are no plans at present to bring into force subsections (3), (4)(b), (5) and (6) of section 1, sections 2 to 7 and subsections (6), (7), (8)(c) and 12(a) and (b) of section 10, all of which refer to a national membership scheme. The rest of the Act is currently in force with the exception of sections 9 and 13, about which I am replying separately to specific questions tabled by the hon. Member.

Mr. Pendry

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those parts of the Football Spectators Act currently in force and the dates on which they came into force.

Mr. John Patten

On 22 March 1990 the following provisions of the Act came into force:

  1. (i) subsections (1), (2), (4) except paragraph (b), and (7) to (11) of section 1;
  2. (ii) section 14, and
  3. (iii) subsections (1), (9) and (12) of section 22.

On 24 April 1990 the following provisions of the Act came into force:

  1. (i) sections 15 to 21;
  2. (ii)subsections (2) to (8), (10) and (11) of section 22., and
  3. (iii) sections 23 to 26 and schedule 1.

On 1 June 1990 the following provisions of the Act came into force:

  1. (i) section 8 and schedule 2;
  2. (ii) subsections (1) to (5), (8) except paragraph (c), (9) to (11), (12) except paragraphs (a) and (b), and (13) to (17) of section 10; and
  3. (iii) sections 11 and 12.

Mr. Pendry

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to make an order bringing into force section 9 of the Football Spectators Act 1989; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John Patten

An order bringing into effect section 9 of the Football Spectators Act 1989, which creates the offence of admitting spectators to unlicensed premises, will be made as soon as the Football Licensing Authority is in a position to issue licences for football grounds at which designated football matches are played. Both we and the Football Licensing Authority are of the view that the licensing scheme should be introduced as soon as it is practicable to do so, but it would be unrealistic to expect the authority to administer such a scheme effectively before it has acquired the necessary staff and expertise to do so.