§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number of persons arrested 345W under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act and the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act in the period from September 1978 until December 1979 and from January 1980 to the nearest convenient date; for how long those arrested were interrogated; and what proportion were subsequently charged with an offence, scheduled or unscheduled and which offence.
§ Mr. Humphrey Atkins[pursuant to his reply, 3 December 1980]: The number of arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976, and persons subsequently charged, during the periods in question are as follows:—
Period Arrests Persons Charged 1.9.78 to 31.12.79 214 72 1.1.80 to 31.10.80 201 95 Because of the method of maintaining records prior to 1980, it is not possible except at disproportionate cost to identify the number of arrests under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978, or the number of persons subsequently charged, for the period 1 September 1978 to 31 December 1979. During the period 1 January 1980 to 31 October 1980, a total of 3,868 arrests were made under the Act. Of these 577 were re-arrests by the police of people initially arrested by the Army. Three hundred and thirty three persons were charged with scheduled offences and 41 with unscheduled offences as a result.
It is not possible except at disproportionate cost to identify the length of time for which persons arrested were held or the specific offences with which those concerned were charged.