HC Deb 03 February 1986 vol 91 cc2-3W
Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give separately the numbers of prisoners giving as their domicile either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland who have been permitted to return home to the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland on parole for humanitarian reason in 1985.

Mr. Mellor

This information is not available.

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give separately the numbers of prisoners in British prisons giving as their place of domicile the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; and, separately, how many of these prisoners are serving sentences for terrorist-type offences;

(2) how many prisoners in British prisons who give as their domicile Northern Ireland have been returned to Northern Ireland to serve the whole or part of their sentences in 1985; and how many of these prisoners were serving sentences for terrorist-type offences.

Mr. Mellor

Statistics are not kept centrally of prisoners' place of domicile prior to reception into prison, and this information could be obtained for the whole prison population only at disproportionate cost. The information which is readily available relates to prisoners' place of birth and to terrorist-type prisoners held in category A. At 30 November 1985 there were in England and Wales 640 prisoners who gave as their place of birth as the Republic of Ireland and 321 who gave Northern Ireland. Of these, 11 born in the Republic of Ireland and 30 born in Northern Ireland had been convicted of terrorist-type offences and were held in category A.

Of the four prisoners who were permanently transferred from England and Wales to Northern Ireland in 1985, two were domiciled there prior to reception into prison. Of these two, one is serving a sentence for acts of terrorism. Transfers between Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland.

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in the light of improved security cooperation between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, he intends to review policy on the repatriation of prisoners giving as their domicile the Republic of Ireland to the Republic of Ireland in order to complete their prison sentences.

Mr. Mellor

My right hon. Friend has no present plans to do so.