HC Deb 23 July 1986 vol 102 cc237-8W
Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of deaths which have occurred in Great Britain in the first six months of the current year connected with present civil unrest in Northern Ireland; and how many of those deaths were caused by action taken by the police and each of the known paramilitary groups.

Mr. Giles Shaw

Provisional information is that there were no such deaths in England and Wales in the first six months of 1986.

Mr. NcNamara

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts in each of the police areas of Metropolitan London, Dumfries and Galloway and Merseyside have been charged with offences under the Acts or under other Acts, separately, for the first six months of the current year.

Mr. Mellor

Information on detentions in the three police force areas specified is published quarterly in Home Office statistical bulletins (table 3 of issue 13/86 gives figures up to the first quarter of 1986; figures for the second quarter will be published shortly). In the first quarter of 1986, five persons detained in Dumfries and Galloway were charged with offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1984 and one person detained in the Metropolitan police district was charged only with an offence under other legislation.

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were remanded in custody before trial for terrorist-type offences in the first six months of the current year.

Mr. Mellor

The only information which is readily available relates to prisoners who are now in prison custody in category A, and does not cover prisoners who have been released or downgraded.

Three such prisoners were first received in custody in the first six months of 1986.

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average number of days spent on remand by those remanded in custody for terrorist-type offences in the first six months of the current year with regard to cases now completed in England and Wales and the number of bail applications refused, respectively.

Mr. Mellor

The only information which is readily available relates to prisoners who are now in prison custody in category A. It does not cover prisoners who have been released or downgraded.

None of the cases of those first remanded during the first six months of 1986 have been completed. The average number of days spent on remand by prisoners whose cases were completed in the first six months of 1986 was 370. Ten applications for bail are recorded; all were refused.