§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been detained under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act to date; how many have been subsequently charged with offences; and with what offences they have been charged.
§ Mr. Merlyn Rees2,251 people have been detained in Great Britain under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976. An extension of detention under Section 7 of the 1974 Act or Section 12 of the 1976 Act has been approved in 243 cases; a further 507 people were detained for 48 hours or less. One thousand five hundred and one people have been detained pending further examination at ports under the supplemental orders made under the Acts.
One hundred and five people detained under the Acts have been charged with offences in Great Britain. Ten of them have been charged with offences under the Acts. Eight of the remainder have been charged with murder, three with attempted murder, 12 with conspiracy to cause explosions, seven with unlawful possession of explosives, six with conspiracy to possess or procure explosives with intent to endanger life, six with contravention of Section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968, 458W five with conspiracy to defraud the Inland Revenue, 16 with theft, one with robbery, nine with burglary, one with assisting offenders, two with causing criminal damage, two with attempting criminal deception, one with handling a stolen vehicle, three with handling stolen property, one with unlawful wounding, one with possession of drugs, three with wasting police time, one with causing an explosion, one with harbouring a person known to have committed an arrestable offence, one with attempted theft, one with assault on police, one with being found on enclosed premises, one with possessing an offensive weapon, one with fraud, and one with an offence under Section 6 of the Road Traffic Act 1972.
In addition, three people have been returned to the Irish Republic and there charged, two with burglary and one with robbery. Thirteen people have been returned to Northern Ireland and there charged, one with murder, one with conspiracy to cause an explosion, three with armed robbery, two with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, three with unlawful possession of explosives, two with causing an explosion, and one with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been charged with offences under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act to date; and under which sections of the Act the charges have been brought.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesSeven people have been charged in Great Britain with offences under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976; two under Section 10(1)(a) and Section 10(2), two under Section 10(1)(a), one under Section 1(1)(b), one under Section 9(1) and one under Section 9(2)(a).
Three people were charged in Great Britain under Section 1(1)(b) of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1974.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been served with exclusion orders under the Prevention of 459W Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act to date; how many have been deported to (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the Republic of Ireland; how many have appealed against exclusion orders; and how many appeals have been successful.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesMy predecessor and I have made 93 exclusion orders under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976. Notice of the making of an exclusion order has been served on 85 people, 79 of whom were removed, 56 to Northern Ireland and 23 to the Irish Republic. 19 of the 85 made representations objecting to the order and my predecessor revoked the order in five of these 19 cases. One case is still under consideration.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has to date refused an extension of five days to the police for the holding of a suspect under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act; and, if so, in how many cases.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesNo.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any of the charges brought against suspects initially held under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act to date have been dropped before the case was heard; if so, which charges; if any charges have led to an unsuccessful prosecution and if so, which charges; and if any charges have led to a successful prosecution and if so, what was the sentence imposed in each case.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThis information could not be made available without disproportionate effort, for the reason given in my reply to my hon. Friend's Question on 11th October 1976.—[Vol. 375, c. 43–4.]