§ Mr. PendryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of staff required to administer the football licensing scheme; what is the current staffing complement of the Football Licensing Authority; and what stage has been reached in filling any further vacancies required by the Football Licensing Authority.
5W
§ Mr. John PattenThe number of staff that the Football Licensing Authority requires is a matter for the authority itself to determine. I understand, however, that the authority plans initially to employ a total of nine administrative staff and the equivalent of nine full-time inspectors; a complement which will be reviewed as the authority begins to discharge the full range of its statutory functions including the administration of the football licensing scheme. Three administrative staff are in post; the recruitment of inspectors and other administrative staff is in hand; and the authority expects all these staff will be in post by next spring.