§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to pay compensation to persons mistakenly or wrongfully interned in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. SharplesThis is a matter for the Northern Ireland Government.
§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ascertain from the Northern Ireland Government how many internees have escaped from camps, prisons or prison ships in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. SharplesI understand from the Northern Ireland authorities that while no one against whom an internment order has been made has escaped in Northern Ireland, there have been 21 escapes by those who were being held under Regulations 10 or 11 of the Special Powers Act or were on remand in custody for criminal offences connected with civil disturbances. Two were recaptured.
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§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will obtain from the Northern Ireland Government the latest number of persons interned, the latest number released and the current number held in internment in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. SharplesThe following information has been provided by the Northern Ireland Government:
At 26th January, 578 persons had been served with internment orders. Thirty had been released from internment and 548 remained interned.
§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civilian and military casualties have occurred since the policy of internment was introduced in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. SharplesI understand that at 27th January the number of casualties attributed to the civil disorders in Northern Ireland since 9th August, 1971, was as follows:
Deaths Woundings R.U.C 11 101* R.U.C. Reserve 1 Army 34 168† U.D.R 7 Others (including known casualties among those involved in actions against the security forces) 105 1,547 * Figures are given from 1st August, 1971, and relate to persons who received hospital treatment for injuries attributed to the civil disturbances. † Figures are given from 9th August, 1971, and relate to military personnel admitted to hospital as a result of terrorist activity.
§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what official representations he has received concerning Her Majesty's Government's policy on internment from the official spokesmen of the British and Northern Ireland Labour Parties.
§ Mr. MaudlingA deputation of the Northern Ireland Labour Party told me of its views on a number of matters, including internment, when it came to see me on 15th September, 1971; and a resolution of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party which dealt, among other things, with internment, was conveyed to me in a letter from the Secretary on 22nd December, 1971.
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§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when contingency plans for large scale internment were first brought to the attention of Her Majesty's Government in respect of Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. SharplesThe Government have at all times been in continuous consultation with the Northern Ireland Government on questions of security.