§ Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in each year since 1969 the weapons of members of the security forces who were murdered by terrorists have been stolen by the murderers.
§ Mr. AlisonThe information requested is not readily available and cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many legally held firearms have been stolen in Northern Ireland in each year since 1969 by terrorist organisations; and, of the weapons stolen, how many were bullet firing and how many were weapons owned by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and its reserves, the Army, the Ulster Defence Regiment and private citizens.
§ Mr. AlisonThis information is not readily available. In particular, responsibility for individual thefts cannot be ascribed. I shall, however, write to the hon. Member when such information as can be provided has been collected.
§ Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons are known to have been killed by legally held firearms in Northern 472W Ireland in each year since 1969, or such shorter period as may be convenient; and if he will indicate for such periods, or years, how many of these were murders carried out by terrorist organisations, how many were accidents, and how many were killings not attributable to either of the foregoing reasons.
§ Mr. AlisonThe information requested is not readily available. The weapons used cannot be identified in every case, so the number of killings committed with legally held weapons remains unknown. If that were not so, it would remain impossible to ascribe responsibility for every killing to a terrorist organisation or elsewhere.
§ Mr. Wm Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many murders there have been in Northern Ireland in each year since 1969; and, of these, how many have involved firearms.
§ Mr. AlisonIt is not possible until the verdict has been reached at a trial to distinguish between murders and other unlawful killings. In respect of a number of killings for which no one has yet been convicted, the police are treating their enquiries as murder investigations; but the nature of any future charge or conviction cannot be anticipated. The figures below include all cases where one or more persons have been convicted of murder or may be so convicted.
(a) (b) Year Unlawful killings which have led to, or may lead to a conviction for murder Number of killings at (a) in which firearms were used 1969 5 3 1970 14 7 1971 123 62 1972 376 215 1973 200 124 1974 205 151 1975 238 160 1976 282 190 1977 116 87 1978 82 48 1979 128 96 1980* 23 12 * To 3 March.
§ Mr. Wm Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many weapons have been recovered or captured by the security forces in Northern Ireland from terrorist organisations in each year since 1969.
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§ Mr. AlisonThe table below shows the total number of weapons recovered or captured in each of the years in question. It is not possible to identify the source of each weapon.
Year Number of weapon found/seized 1969 14 1970 324 1971 717 1972 1,264 1973 1,595 1974 1,260 1975 825 1976 837 1977 590 1978 400 1979 301 1980 (to date) 27