HC Deb 27 February 1995 vol 255 cc405-6W
Mr. Pendry

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many restriction orders have been made under the Football Spectators Act 1989 in each year since its introduction.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Part II of the 1989 Football Spectators Act, which provided the courts with the power to make restriction orders to prevent certain convicted hooligans from travelling to key football matches outside England and Wales, came into force on 24 April 1990. The number of restriction orders is as follows:

Year Number of orders
1990 19
1991 4
1992 2
1993 0
1994 1

Mr. Pendry

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many restriction orders made under section 15 of the Football Spectators Act 1989 were enforced with regard to the Ireland v. England football match of 15 February.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Two.

Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers exist to enable him to restrain within the United Kingdom people subject to a restriction order preventing them from attending certain sporting events in the United Kingdom or overseas who seeks to breach that order even though they are not suspected of committing any other offence.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Section 15 of the Football Spectators Act 1989 gave the courts power to impose restriction orders on those convicted of football-related offences to prevent them from attending key matches outside England and Wales. Those subject to such orders are required to report to a police station—of their choice—usually at a time when such a match is taking place. It is an offence to fail to do so without good reason. There is no separate power to prevent a person subject to a restriction order from leaving the country at the stipulated time.

Mr. Pendry

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action was taken by the football unit of the national criminal intelligence service to reduce the likelihood of crowd violence in advance of the Ireland v. England football match on 15 February.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

I refer the hon. Member to my written reply of 22 February,Official Report, column 234.