§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why the statistics on the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1974, 1976 and 1984, published after 30 April, no longer include in table 3 (persons detained under the Acts by police force area), the numbers of persons detained in individual police 640W districts except for the Metropolitan and Merseyside area in England and for Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland; why he has ceased to publish any details of the extensions of detention granted in any police districts; and whether he will ensure resumption of publication of this information in the future and provide it for the two intervening quarters for which information has not been published;
(2) if he will make a statement as to why his Department, in the two most recent editions of statistics on the operation of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts, has ceased to provide the information hitherto included under table 4 (persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts and charged with offences under these Acts by section under which charged and outcome), and under table 5 (persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts and charged only with criminal offences other than under the Acts (a) by principal offence and (b) where charged and outcome of charge); and if he will ensure that publication of these tables is resumed in the fourth quarter of 1984 and that the tables giving relevant information for the operation of the Act in the intervening quarters for which information has not been published will be made available;
(3) if he will again commence publication of statistics of extensions of detention granted under the Prevention of Terrorism Acts; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrittanInformation on extensions of detention continues to be published in tables 1 and 2 of the quarterly statistical bulletin on the operation of the prevention of terrorism legislation. The more detailed information referred to is no longer published regularly each quarter bcause of the small numbers involved. As stated in note 8 to the latest statistical bulletin, issued on 25 October 1984 (No. 25/84), it is planned to publish the details of offences and sentencing of persons detained under the Acts and subsequently charged with offences in the fourth quarter bulletin in January 1985. This bulletin will also contain details on the geographical distribution of detentions and extensions of detention.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the reasons for the appearance in the two most recent statistical bulletins on the operation of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts of a category of persons examined for up to 12 hours which are not included in persons detained under the Acts; when persons were first so examined but not detained; if he will make available the figures for persons examined but not detained under the Acts for prior periods; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrittanThis information was included in statistical bulletins Nos. 17/84 and 25/84 in response to the recommendation in paragraph 145 of Earl Jellicoe's report "Review of the Operation of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976" (Cmnd. 8803). Information on persons examined for more than an hour but not detained is not available before 27 March 1984, when the supplemental provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 came into force.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing the 641W ratio between the number of persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Acts from 29 November 1974 to 31 December 1983 to the number of such persons being subject to applications for extensions of detention for each police force area; what conclusions he draws between differences in these ratios for different police force areas; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrittanThe proportion of detentions for which an extension was granted in the period 29 November 1974 to 31 December 1983 can be calculated, by police force area, from table 2 of Home Office statistical bulletin issue 2/84. Such percentages vary widely from one police force area to another because the type of cases involved may vary widely. All extensions of detention have to be approved by the Secretary of State and applications from all police force areas are dealt with on the same basis.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the operation of schedule 3 and articles 6 and 8 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Supplementary Provisions) Order 1984, with particular reference to the number of custodial sentences imposed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrittanInformation about the sentences of those convicted of offences under the prevention of terrorism legislation during 1984 will be included in a statistical bulletin to be published in January.