§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will state in the Official Report how many persons in Northern Ireland have been convicted of scheduled offences as a result of their own confessions; how many of these confessions were obtained in Castlereagh police station; in how many cases confessions have been ruled inadmissible in trials for scheduled offences; and how many prisoners at present on the blanket in Northern Ireland were convicted of scheduled offences on the basis of their own confession.
§ Mr. Mason, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 16 March 1979], gave the following information:
I understand that, since 1 July 1976, judges have in the course of trials ruled confessions inadmissible as evidence in the case of 25 persons. The other information requested by the hon. Member is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.