HC Deb 30 April 1981 vol 3 cc463-4W
Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the female terrorists who have been

Case No. Date of first reception in prison Sentence Date released Normal release date with remission
1 13 March 1973 Life imprisonment; 20 years' imprisonment 22 April 1981 March 1983
2 23 October 1976 Detention during the Secretary of State's pleasure; 16 years' imprisonment 10 January 1981 October 1984
3 13 March 1973 Life imprisonment; 20 years' imprisonment 30 April 1980 March 1983
4 2 August 1974 10 years' imprisonment 8 November 1978 August 1979
5 13 November 1976 7 years' imprisonment 1 September 1978 May 1980

In cases Nos. 1, 2 and 3, the prisoners were released on licence and the normal release date shown is that which would have applied to the concurrent fixed sentences. In case No. 4, I understand that the woman concerned died shortly after release; I have no information about the current medical state of the other four.

Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of terrorists have been released early from prison in Northern Ireland in the last 12 years (a) male and (b) female; and what is the reason for any differences between the two figures.

released early from prison for medical reasons, giving in each case the name, the date of imprisonment, the length of sentence awarded, the date of release, how early they were released against full remission and their present physical state.

Mr. Alison

There have been five such cases. It is not the practice to give names.

Mr. Alison

Since 1972, the earliest year for which information is available, 38 men and eight women sentenced for terrorist-type offences have been released early for various reasons including medical grounds. It is not possible without disproportionate effort to express these numbers as a proportion of all prisoners sentenced for such offences during the period in question, but clearly the proportion released early is very small.

No meaningful comparison can be made between the two figures.