§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will seek to have tougher sentences imposed by the courts for terrorist offences.
§ Mr. AlisonIt is for Parliament to decide the appropriate maximum penalties for offences; for some scheduled offences these were increased in 1977. It is for the judiciary to decide independently the appropriate sentence in each particular case. I have neither the authority nor the wish to seek to influence the judiciary on the matter of sentencing.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many persons excluded from Great Britain under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Northern Ireland) Act have been sent to Northern Ireland; and how many have been subsequently detained or charged with offences in Northern Ireland;
(2) how many persons have been detained in Northern Ireland under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act; how many have subsequently been charged with offences; and with what offences they have been charged;
(3) how many persons have been charged under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act in Northern Ireland, and under which section of the Act;
(4) how many persons have been excluded from Northern Ireland under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act; and how many have been sent to Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland;
(5) how many people have been excluded from Northern Ireland under the terms of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act;
(6) how many people from Northern Ireland have been excluded and subsequently been charged with breaking an exclusion order under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act;
(7) how many people from the Republic of Ireland have been excluded from 310W Northern Ireland under the terms of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act and subsequently charged with breaking an exclusion order.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsAs recommended in Lord Shackleton's report, I propose shortly to issue the first in a regular series of quarterly statistical notes on the operation of the Act in Northern Ireland. I believe that this will meet the hon. Member's interest.