§ Mr. Soleyasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report the number of individuals convicted in Northern Ireland for membership of a proscribed organisation and the length of sentence given for the years 1978, 1979 and 1980; and if he will give the same figures for 1981 to date.
§ Mr. PriorThe available information refers to persons convicted on indictment at Belfast Crown court where membership of a proscribed organisation was the most serious offence or was the offence for which the longest sentence was imposed. A number of convictions for membership are therefore excluded. On this basis, the information is as follows:
Number convicted Non-custodial sentence Training school Less than 5 years 5 years and less than 10 years 1978 87 66 1 18 2 1979 93 72 7 12 2 1980 35 27 2 2 4 1981* 10 5 Nil 3 2 * To 30 November.