HL Deb 04 April 1979 vol 399 cc1974-5WA
Lord HYLTON

asked Her Majesty's Government:

With regard to offences punishable by imprisonment, how many persons were (a) arrested, (b) charged, (c) convicted in (i) England and Wales and (ii) Northern Ireland during the last three years for which figures are available; and in each case what percentage related to matters arising under:—

  1. (a) the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976 and
  2. (b) the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978;
and in the case of all convictions what percentage relied wholly or mainly on confessions made by the accused.

Lord BOSTON of FAVERSHAM

Information in the form requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information collected centrally by type of offence does not distinguish all offences punishable by imprisonment; information on arrests is not collected centrally by type of offence; and no information is available on whether convictions relied wholly or mainly on confessions. The readily available information by type of offence on persons prosecuted and convicted in England and Wales is published annually in Criminal Statistics, in England and Wales (Tables 1A and 5A of the volume for 1977, Cmnd. 7289). Information up to the end of the first quarter of 1979 on persons detained in Great Britain under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) legislation and subsequently charged will be published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 3/79.

I understand from my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland that in the period 1976–8 there were 29,842 persons convicted of indictable offences in Northern Ireland, including 3,191 convicted of Scheduled offences.