HC Deb 15 November 1972 vol 846 cc180-1W
Mr. Kilfedder

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses have been allocated by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive or its predecessor in 1969, 1970, 1971 and in this year within the constituency of the hon. Member for Down, North; in each of those years how many persons on the waiting list living in North Down were allocated houses; and how many persons in each year from riot areas in Belfast have been allocated houses in North Down.

Mr. Peter Mills

The information requested is as follows:—

indicate the number of requests for extradition to the Republic of Ireland Government in each month since January, 1972; if he will indicate those which were successful, those which were refused and those which are still pending; and if he will give a detailed breakdown of each category.

Mr. David Howell

Extradition between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland is provided for by a procedure applied by the police and the courts, whereby a warrant of arrest is forwarded by one police force to the other. Warrants are returned if they are unacceptable and are sometimes resubmitted. The same application would therefore appear more than once if figures were given on a monthly basis. Extradition has been sought in 16 cases since January, 1972, and in no case with success. Two requests have been refused and two warrants were returned because the accused persons could not be found. These four cases related to charges under the Theft Act (Northern Ireland), 1969. One defendant for whom a warrant was sent to the Republic voluntarily surrendered in Northern Ireland; and 11 cases are pending.

Details of the pending cases are as follows. Six warrants have been returned from the Irish Republic for further attention: three relate to charges under the Explosive Substances Act, two to charges under the Protection of Property (Northern Ireland) Act, 1969, and one to a charge of failure to answer bail. No answer has yet been received in relation to four of the warrants: two concerning fire arms offences, one a charge of murder and one a prison escape. A warrant was forwarded under the Theft Act (Northern Ireland), 1969, in respect of a person who it was found was already serving a sentence in the Republic.

In those cases where no answer has been received, the matter is being pursued.