§ Miss Maynardasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that all serving members of the Armed Forces who are convicted and sentenced to terms of imprisonment for offences committed in Northern Ireland have the right to return to the mainland of the United Kingdom to serve their sentences at their option as opposed to the option 694W of the State; whether convicted members of the Armed Forces have remained in Northern Ireland; and whether that is the reason why members of their family are in Northern Ireland with them.
§ Mr. MasonUnder the Criminal Justice Act 1961 any convicted prisoner in Northern Ireland may apply to serve his sentence in another part of the United Kingdom. All such applications are considered sympathetically in consultation with the authorities in the receiving country and all the circumstances, including compassionate considerations and the safety of the individual, are taken into account. A prisoner cannot be permanently transferred to Great Britain except on his own application.
I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence that it is the normal procedure for all members of the Armed Forces who have been sentenced to imprisonment to be discharged from the services. There are, however, currently a small number of individuals serving sentences in Northern Ireland who were members of the British Regular Army at the time of their offence. It is entirely a matter for the family of the prisoner concerned to decide whether or not they wish to remain in Northern Ireland.