§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will provide a breakdown of the grounds on which 19 I applications to the Attorney-General for a certificate that an offence should not be treated as scheduled, under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978, were refused in 1986.
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone)In refusing to exercise his discretion for a certificate under Schedule 4 to the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978 that an offence is not to be treated as a scheduled offence, my right honourable and learned friend the Attorney-General considers, and has always considered, whether a particular case is connected with the emergency. Where an application is refused it is because the Attorney-General has specifically decided that the offence has terrorist connections. This relates to applications in 1986 and all previous years. I would refer the noble Lord to the statements made by my right honourable and learned friend on 8th April 1987 during the Report stage of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Bill in another place as set out at cols. 336 to 339 of theOfficial Report, House of Commons.