Mr. J. Enoch Powellasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the full-year security statistics for Northern Ireland are yet available.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsYes. I am including in the reply details of convictions obtained during the period July-December 1980. The following is the information:
Statistics on Security
Part I — Statistics of Terrorist Activity
Yearly totals for 1971–1980
Statistics for terrorist activity comprise the following:—
- (i) Number of Shooting incidents
- (ii) Number of explosions
- (iii) Number of bombs and devices neutralised
- (iv) Weight of explosives in bombs and devices neutralised
- (v) Number of malicious fires
- (vi) Number of armed robberies and amount stolen
- (vii) Number of deaths and injuries of RUC/RUC 'R' Army and civilians (including sectarian interfactional and intrafactional assassinations)
Part II — Statistics of Security Forces' Activity
Yearly totals for 1971–1980
Statistics for Security Forces' Activity comprise the following:—
313W
- (i) Number of houses searched
- (ii) Number of weapons, pounds of explosives and rounds of ammunition found
- (iii) Number of people charged with serious security type offences: (murder, attempted murder, explosives offences, firearms offences, armed robbery and other offences relating to the security situation e.g. arson, membership of illegal organisations etc.)
Yearly Figures 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 Injuries: Army/UDR 390 578 548 483 167 Injuries: RUC/RUC 'R' 315 485 291 235 263 (1) Estimated weight only. (2) Consolidated figures not a available for earlier years.
Statistics on Security Part I Yearly Figures 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 Shooting Incidents 1,908 1,081 755 728 641 Explosions 766 366 455 422 280 Bombs Neutalised 426 169 178 143 120 weight of Explosives (In lbs) (1) In explosions 17,596 2,839 5,343 11,180.75 9,058.95 Neutalised 16,252 2,188 5,860.5 4,530.5 6,404.55 Armed Robberies 813 591 439 434 412 Amount Stolen £ 545,497 446,988 232,650 568,359 496,829 Malicious Fires (2) 453 432 269 315 275 Deaths: Civilians (2) 245 69 50 51 50 (Sectarian, interfactional and intrafactional assassinations shown in brackets) (121) (42) (14) (33) (26) Deaths: Army/UDR 29 29 21 48 16 Deaths: RUC/RUC 'R' 23 14 10 14 9 Injuries: Civilians 2,162 1,027 548 555 513 Injuries: Army/UDR 264 188 135 153 77 Injuries: RUC/RUC 'R' 303 183 302 165 194 (1) Estimated weight only. (2) Consolidated figures not available for earlier years.
Statistics on Security Part II Yearly Figures 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 Houses searched* 17,262 36,617 74,556 71,914 30,092 Finds: Firearms 717 1,264 1,595 1,260 825 Finds: Ammunition (rounds) 157,944 183,410 187,399 147,202 73,604 Finds: Explosives (pounds) 2,748 41,488 38,418 26,120 11,565 ICOS Made (†) — 75 512 312 11 * Includes occupied and unoccupied houses searched.
Yearly Figures 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 Houses searched* 34,939 20,724 15,462 6,452 4,106 Finds: Firearms 837 590 400 301 203 Finds: Ammunitions (rounds) 70,306 52,091 43,512 46,280 28,078 Finds: Explosives (pounds) 21,714 3,809 2,108 1,996.25 1,810 ICOS Made (†) — — — — — * Includes occupied and unoccupied houses searched. 314W315W
Persons charged with serious security type offences * 31 July to 31 Dec. 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 Murder 13 71 75 138 120 131 60 45 63 Attempted Murder 16 85 75 88 121 135 79 39 59 Firearms Offences 242 631 544 460 353 301 225 177 112 Explosives Offences 86 236 161 100 215 146 79 40 39
31 July to 31 Dec. 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 Theft Act 111 186 232 314 188 203 151 159 126 Other 63 205 275 97 279 392 249 210 151 Total 531 1,414 1,362 1,197 1,276 1,308 843 670 550 (1) These figures are not available in consolidated form for earlier years. (2) Includes occupied and unoccupied houses searched. † The power to make interim custody orders lapsed in July 1980.
Persons convicted and sentences imposed at Belfast Crown Court July to December 1980 NOTES ON THE TABLES: 1 The offence classifications are based on those used by the Crown and Peace Office in its annual return. 2 The tables relate to persons convicted at the Belfast Crown court. This covers all scheduled offences tried on indictment. 3 Some jury trials are included in cases where the Attorney General certified out of the scheduled mode of trial, i.e. non-terrorist serious offences. 4 Where a person has been convicted of more than one offence only the most serious or that which received the longest sentence is recorded in the statistics. 316W317W
July-December 1980 Imprisonment Offence Number convicted Non Custodial sentence Borstal or Training Centre Less than 5 years 5 Years and less than 7 years 7 Years and less than 10 years 10 Years and less than 15 years 15 Years and less than 20 years 20 Years and over Life Murder 10 — — — — — — — — 10 Attempted Murder 5 — — — — — — 2 3 — Conspiracy to Murder 1 — — — — — — 1 — — Manslaughter 7 — — — — — — 3 2 2 4 2 — Wounding with Intent to do Grievous Bodily Harm 7 1 2 1 — 1 3 — — — Causing Explosion 10 2 — — 1 2 — 1 — — Placing Explosive 1 — 1 — — — — — — — Possessing Explosives with Intent 7 1 1 — 1 1 4 — — — Causing Grievous Bodily Harm 8 4 3 1 — — — — — — Possessing a Firearm with Intent 10 — — — 1 3 — 2 — — Possessing a Firearm — — — — — — — — — — Carrying a Firearm with Intent 3 1 — 1 1 — 6 — — — Intimidation — — — — — — — — — — Aggravated Burglary 7 — 1 6 — — — — — — Robbery 88 28 11 21 15 7 — — — — Hi-jacking 20 11 3 6 — — — — — — Arson 15 7 6 2 — — — — — — Malicious Damage — — — — — — — — — — Other Explosive Offences 1 — — — 1 — — — — — Petrol Bomb Offenders 2 — 1 1 — — — — — — Common Law Riot — — — — — — — — — — Escape Offences 1 1 — — — — — — — — Assisting Offenders 3 3 — — — — — — — — Others Major Firearms Offences 20 9 1 7 2 1 — — — — Withholding Information 4 3 — 1 — — — — — — Possessing Prohibited Articles 1 1 — — — — — — — — Minor Firearms Offences — — — — — — — — — — Membership of Illegal Organisations 11 7 — 2 2 — — — — — Unlawful Collection of Information 3 1 1 — 1 — — — — — Illegal Training — — — — — — — — — — Kidnapping and False Imprisonment 1 — — — 1 — — — — —
Offence Number convicted Non Custodial sentence Borstal or Training Centre Less than 5 years 5 Years and less than 7 years 7 Years and less than 10 years 10 Years and less than 15 years 15 Years and less than 20 years 20 Years and over Life Contributing to Resources of a Proscribed Organisation 1 1 — — — — — — — — Soliciting Support for a Proscribed Organisation — — — — — — — — — — Criminal Damage 2 1 1 — — — — — — — Total 258 84 34 54 26 15 22 8 5 10