Mr. Wm Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing, as at 1st June 1976, the total prison population in Northern Ireland; how many are male and female; how many have been convicted of terrorist type offences; and, of those so convicted, what are the paramilitary or other bodies of which they claim membership.
61W
§ Mr. Concannon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 11th June 1976; Vol. 912, c. 816], gave the following information
On 30th May 1976 there were 2,418 persons in prison custody, of whom 68 were female.
The 1,289 special category prisoners, who have all been convicted of offences connected with the civil disturbances, have claimed connection with the following organisations:
PIRA … … 628 OIRA … … 76 IRSP … … 46 UDA … … 244 UVF … … 295 … … 1,289 Some other convicted prisoners and untried prisoners have at times claimed connection with these organisations but there are no overall figures. Prison records do not separately identify persons convicted of terrorist type offences.