§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what circumstances his Department pays fares and accommodation for the relatives of IRA prisoners, or prisoners convicted of terrorist activities, to visit the prison where the IRA, or other terrorist prisoner is held, either in Northern Ireland or in another part of the United Kingdom; on how many occasions this has happened in each year, respectively, since 1969; to which prisons the visits were paid; what was the cost of the fare on each occasion; and what was the cost of the accommodation.
§ Mr. OrmeThe arrangements to assist prisoners' relatives with the cost of visits, which the Supplementary Benefits Commission administers on behalf of the Home Office, do not extend to Northern Ireland. Within Great Britain the cause of imprisonment is not identified and the information is not, therefore, available.