§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many actions were brought against the Ministry of Defence by individuals or the families of individuals injured or killed by plastic bullets in Northern Ireland in each year since 1972;
(2) if for those actions brought against the Ministry of Defence by individuals or the families of individuals injured or killed by plastic bullets in Northern Ireland since 1972, he will list (a) the outcome in each case whether compensation was paid, to whom, in what amount and on what date and (b) for those cases settled out of court, amounts of compensation paid, to whom and on what date.
§ Mr. Ian Stewart[holding answer 8 July 1988]: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer of 30 March 1977 at column 155 and the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Mr. Patten) on 4 March 1982 at column 213. Records show that since January 1987 a total of 12 claims have been made against the Ministry of Defence for injuries allegedly caused by plastic bullets in Northern Ireland. The details are as follows:
Claims 1987 10 11988 2 1 To date. Records for the period before 1987 are not now held centrally and the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The amount of compensation paid to individual claimants cannot be disclosed because this information is 53W held in confidence between the individual concerned and the Department. Two claims from 1987 have been settled by out of court payments of £500 each on 5 July 1988 and the other cases are still under consideration.