HC Deb 28 February 1977 vol 927 cc77-8W
Mr. Carson

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if any officers or officials from the Northern Ireland Community Development Centre have either been detailed by him or convicted of terrorist type offences.

Mr. Mason

The Northern Ireland Community Development Centre is a privately constituted body whose director, advised by a committee, is responsible for appointing staff. Of the committee and staff two were held under Interim Custody Orders in 1973; and released after hearings by the Commissioners in 1973 and 1974, respectively. I am not aware that any have been convicted of terrorist type offences.

Mr. Carson

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the purpose and function of the Northern Ireland Northern Ireland prisons since 1st January 1976; and what were the offences with which they were charged.

Mr. Concannon

Prison records do not separately identify persons convicted of terrorist offences. However, special category prisoners have all been convicted with offences connected with the civil disturbances, and, between 1st January 1976 and 18th February 1977, 61 such prisoners released from Northern Ireland Prisons had addresses in Co. Armagh. Of these, 21 had addresses in the town of Lurgan. The principal crimes of which they were found guilty were as follows:

Community Development Centre which receives a grant from official funds towards the running of its premises; what is the reason for assistance from public funds; and if in Belfast the grant is the entire financial support from official or public sources.

Mr. Mason

The Northern Ireland Community Development Centre was established in 1975 on private initiative, its primary purpose being to help to co-ordinate the efforts of untrained community workers and, by putting them in touch with official bodies, to encourage them to improve their skills. The Northern Ireland Office contribution, which is exclusively towards the running expenses of the centre, is in recognition of the service it renders to the community. The centre successfully solicits contributions from private sources and its only grant from public funds is that provided by the Northern Ireland Office.