§ Lord Burtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 5 May (WA 58) did not state how many meetings of the Firearms Consultative Committee have been attended by Mr. Anthony Burden, the Chief Constable of South Wales Constabulary and Chairman of the Association of Chief Police Officers' England, Wales and Northern Ireland Firearms Explosives Licensing Sub-Committee, given that the committee's annual report has not yet been published; whether they will now publish this information; and whether Mr. Burden has made any requests for a representative to attend in his place at any meeting of the committee in each of the last two years. [HL1821]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe Firearms Consultative Committee has not yet reported to the Secretary of State on its activities during 1997–98. Its annual report, which will contain information about the attendance of all members, will be published in July and will be laid before Parliament in the usual way. Information about attendances in previous years is already in the public domain, as I have explained in earlier Written Answers. As I have also explained, members attend on an individual basis; the question of representatives attending on behalf of a member does not therefore arise.