§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish for each police division the number of times the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve, the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Army have been attacked and the nature of the attack for each of the past five years; and how may persons have been prosecuted successfully for each type of attack during each of the same five years.
§ Mr. AlisonThe information is not available in the form requested. However, figures for deaths and injuries sustained by the security forces since 1975 are as follows:
DEATHS RUC/ RUC'R' Army UDR 1975 11 14 6 1976 23 14 14 1977 14 15 14 1978 10 14 7 1979 14 38 10 1980* 7 3 4
INJURIES RUC/ RUC'R' Army UDR 1975 263 151 16 1976 303 242 22 1977 183 172 15 1978 302 109 8 1979 165 132 21 1980* 28 22 10 * To 30 April Information on the number of successful prosecutions arising from these incidents could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many buses have been robbed, hijacked and destroyed by terrorists during the past 10 years; what has been the total 408W cost of the damage and losses; how many convictions have followed; and what penalties have been imposed.
§ Mr. AlisonThe information is not available in the form requested and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost. However, the number of buses destroyed by terrorist activity during the past 11 years is as follows:
1969–71 119 1972 123 1973 49 1974 75 1975 5 1976 92 1977 100 1978 103 1979 74 1980 (to 20 May) 48 Total 788 Compensation paid to date in respect of damage and resultant consequential losses suffered in the last two financial years is as follows:
1978–79 £893,622 1979–80 £609,091
§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number and location of terrorist incidents in which the terrorists used an M60 machine gun; and how many civilian and security personnel were killed or injured.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsAn M60 machine gun is known to have been used in 17 terrorist incidents in the cities of Londonderry and Belfast and in Counties Armagh, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Londonderry. In these attacks seven members of the security forces were killed; 12 members of the security forces and two civilians were injured.
It is not possible to establish whether all the injuries were caused by an M60 machine gun as other weapons were also used in the incidents.
§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many M60 machine guns have been brought into Northern Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army; how many have been seized by the security forces; how many persons have been convicted in connection with possession or use of an M60; how many persons are to be prosecuted in connection with possession 409W or use of an M60; and what are the charges.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsIt is not possible to state the number of M60 machine guns brought into Northern Ireland by the Provisional IRA, but two of these weapons have been seized by the security forces. In connection with possession or use of an M60 machine gun, one person has been convicted of murder, attempted murder, possession of firearms and ammunition with intent and possession of a prohibited weapon and four people have been charged with murder, possession of firearms and membership of a proscribed organisation.
§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish full details of terrorist attacks on Northern Ireland railway stations, installations, rolling stock, bridges and the like in each of the past 10 years, the total cost of the damage, the number of persons convicted and the penalties imposed.
§ Mr. AlisonThe information is not available in the form requested and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost. However, in the 10 years ending 31 December 1979, five Northern Ireland Railways' coaches were destroyed by terrorist action and a further 29 were damaged. The number of bomb incidents on the NIR system in the periods for which information is available was as follows:
1 Jan 1972–31 Dec 1972 27 1 Jan 1973–31 Dec 1973 24 1 Jan 1974–31 Dec 1974 28 1 Jan 1975–31 Mar 1975 4 1 Apr 1975–31 Mar 1976 9 1 Apr 1976–31 Mar 1977 24 1 Apr 1977–31 Mar 1978 9 1 Apr 1978–31 Mar 1979 18 1 Apr 1979–31 Mar 1980 10 1 Apr 1980–20 May 1980 3 TOTAL 156 Compensation paid to Northern Ireland Railways to date in respect of damage and resultant consequential losses suffered in the last two financial years, is as follows:
1978–79 £286,952 1979–80 £305,700
§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many 410W members of Sinn Fein and Provisional Sinn Fein have been arrested in connection with terrorist activity; how many have been prosecuted and for what offences; and how many have been convicted and for what offences.
§ Mr. AlisonThis information is not available. Membership of these organisations is not an offence and details of membership would not appear in papers relating to arrests and charges.
§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many punishment shootings occurred in each of the past 10 years.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsThe number of woundings recorded annually as punishment shootings is as follows:
1973 74 1974 127 1975 189 1976 98 1977 126 1978 67 1979 76 1980 (to 30 April) 36 Information prior to 1973 is not available.